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Los ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵlogo crews responded to a fire burning inside an access portal beneath the 110 Freeway in Wilmington on the evening of May 4, 2026, triggering a freeway closure and a multi-agency response that stretched into the following days.
 

The incident was reported at approximately 8:50 PM, with crews arriving to find fire burning inside a confined space beneath the freeway. Given the complexity of the location, Incident Command prioritized firefighter safety from the outset, calling in Heavy Rescue and USAR companies to assist with access and suppression. A Caltrans highway engineer was also brought to the scene to support tactical planning. LAFD's firefighting robot, RS3, was staged at the scene, though conditions inside the access portal prevented its deployment.
 
The fire forced the closure of the 110 Freeway in both directions between Channel Street and Harry Bridges Boulevard. A broad coalition of agencies assisted throughout the incident, including the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works (including its Bureau of Sanitation and Bureau of Street Services), the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Health Hazardous Materials Division, and private companies, all working alongside LAFD to support traffic control, hazardous materials monitoring, and overall scene management.

While firefighters removed a significant amount of debris from the access portal, burning construction timber and other unmovable materials required sustained suppression efforts. Incident Command prepared for an extended operation, rotating in fresh crews from across the city to maintain an unbroken firefighting effort and give relief to firefighters working in the demanding conditions. As part of that extended operational coordination, Unified Command was established with the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans.
 

Unified Command declared a knockdown of all fire in the access portal at 3:27 PM on May 5. Crews worked through the night utilizing vacuum trucks to remove water that accumulated during firefighting operations, while Unified Command oversaw a comprehensive search of the confined space and a structural stability assessment of the freeway. Drones, robots, hazardous materials teams, and Urban Search and Rescue teams were all employed as part of that effort.
 

Following a comprehensive structural stability assessment, Caltrans engineers determined the highway to be structurally sound. The northbound 110 Freeway has reopened, with just one lane remaining closed while emergency personnel continue on-scene operations. Drivers are encouraged to slow down and use caution in the area.

No injuries have been reported, and the cause of this fire remains under investigation. 

This article will be updated as the incident progresses.