Highway 47 reopens after battery-laden trailer that crashed and caught fire is moved off road

A trailer containing lithium ion batteries was moved off Highway 47 in San Pedro on Friday, allowing officials to lift road closures in the area.

The hazardous fire sparked after a big rig overturned around noon on Thursday at 940 N. Seaside Ave., causing at least one battery to explode and prompting temporary closures of portions of Highway 47, including the Vincent Thomas bridge, authorities said.

Nicholas Prange, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the trailer was moved Friday to a lot on Terminal Island “where it can continue to off-gas or burn, if it needs to, and be less of an impact to traffic and Port of Los Angeles operations.”

“Obviously, that’s a big economic impact that we were trying to consider,” he added.

Officials were then able to reopen the roads around 9 p.m., he said.

The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.

Through Friday evening, Highway 47 was closed from Harbor Boulevard in Los Angeles to the juncture of Highway 103 in Long Beach, according to the California Department of Transportation.

California

Big rig with lithium ion batteries flips in San Pedro, sparking hazardous fire, closing freeway

A hazardous fire broke out in San Pedro around noon on Thursday after a big rig carrying lithium ion batteries overturned, causing at least one battery to explode, authorities said.

Sept. 26, 2024

No injuries or evacuation orders were reported as a result of the crash, but the road closures did cause significant traffic issues.

Tens of thousands of heavy trucks and other vehicles pass through the Vincent Thomas Bridge every day; the bridge also connects San Pedro to Terminal Island.

The freeway closure also hindered operations at the Port of Los Angeles. APM Terminals, Fenix Marine, Everport and Yusen Terminals were closed Friday as agencies worked on the scene, although some other terminals stayed open. Traffic was routed away from the area.

“Los Angeles Port Police and senior port officials are working with responding agencies, container terminal operators, union officials and other stakeholders to ensure safety and minimize disruptions,” port officials wrote on social media.

In a statement Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass thanked firefighters “for keeping drivers, port workers and the surrounding community safe as this situation is resolved.” She added that her office is staying in touch with leaders of the port and Caltrans about port closures and traffic detours.

L.A. City Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents the harbor area, introduced a motion Friday asking the port to implement an inspection process for trailers leaving each terminal to ensure cargo is secure.

“This is primarily for the safety and security of our workers and our travelers,” he said. “It’s of lesser importance, but there are multiple terminals that are shut down and will be shut down while this emergency is ongoing.

“And that represents, to the stream of commerce, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars — secondary to life and safety, but also important,” he continued.