Terminals re-open after Wilmington dock fire
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Seven of eight Port of Los Angeles terminals resumed full operations at 6 p.m. Tuesday after they were closed due to a large fire overnight. The Pasha Terminal's Berth 177, the site of the fire, will remain closed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The dock at the Port of Los Angeles was still smoldering Tuesday afternoon after a stubborn fire burned all night, sending up a huge cloud of smoke and forcing a school to close and people to evacuate because of bad air quality.
The fire was 90 percent contained Tuesday afternoon. The fire, which began about 6:40 p.m. Monday, was determined to have started during a welding-torch operation.
Flames burned about 150 feet underneath the wharf at the end of 802 S. Fries Avenue, threatening boats and a warehouse at berths 177 and 179.
"At one point there was fire the entire length of the wharf," said L.A. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas. "The wharf created significant challenges for us. It's constructed of heavy wood timber, two layers of that. The wood is coated in creosote. That's a hydrocarbon carcinogen."
Fire-fighting foam used on the burning creosote was floating on the water Tuesday. Booms were set in the water to contain the creosote and keep it from spreading. Crews were expected to later clean up the creosote in the water.
San Pedro, Wilmington and Long Beach residents were asked to avoid the toxic smoke by closing their windows and staying inside. Officials advised residents to avoid using air conditioning units that only draw in air from the outside or that do not have a recirculating option.
The Los Angeles Unified School District ordered De La Torre Jr. Elementary School to be evacuated Tuesday morning due to smoke drifting into the area. The school had decided to open for the day despite a recommendation from fire officials to close.
During the evacuation, district officials said students were to be taken by bus to Olguin High School, which shares a site with San Pedro High School. Students were then expected to be brought back to De La Torre by 1:19 p.m. to be picked up from school as usual. All afternoon preschool and afterschool programs were canceled.
Saints Peter and Paul Elementary School, which fire officials also recommended be closed, canceled classes before the start of the school day.
