Arson Suspected in Massive Fire that Closes Vital Section of Interstate 10 in Los Angeles

California authorities have determined that arson was the cause of a massive weekend fire that charred and indefinitely closed a vital section of the Interstate 10 freeway near downtown Los Angeles. The fire broke out Saturday shortly after midnight in an area where vehicles, pallets and other materials had been stored underneath the interstate deck, damaging 100 support columns, nine or 10 of them severely.

At a news conference on Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the stretch of the interstate could be reopened in three to five weeks and that the freeway would not have to be torn down and replaced.

The fire erupted in two storage lots under the Interstate 10, quickly combusting construction materials and growing rapidly. Firefighters worked for hours to contain the blaze, which caused major traffic headaches for hundreds of thousands of commuters.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. In the meantime, the California Department of Transportation is working to repair the damaged support columns and reopen the freeway as soon as possible.

The closure of the Interstate 10 has caused significant disruption to the local transportation network, and officials are urging commuters to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.