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  • 10 Freeway closed in downtown L.A.: What you need to know to avoid the mess

    10 Freeway closed in downtown L.A.: What you need to know to avoid the mess

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    A crucial stretch of the 10 Freeway remained closed through downtown L.A. after a major fire damaged the highway early Saturday.

    Here is what we know:

    Closures

    • 10 Freeway between East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street.
    • 10 Freeway westbound diverted at Alameda Street.
    • 5 Freeway north and south transition to 10 Freeway westbound.
    • 60 Freeway transition east and west to 10 Freeway westbound.
    • Alameda Street closed in area.

    Source: Caltrans

    Traffic effects

    Officials are urging drivers to avoid the area.

    “Angelenos planning to attend major sporting events in or around Downtown Los Angeles, please plan for delays and check for alternative routes. Traffic officers are on location to alleviate traffic impacts. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the impacted area. Please heed traffic officer instructions,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

    “I would encourage people to avoid this area between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street,” added Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

    The big test will come Monday during the morning commute, if the freeway remains closed.

    Metro provided details on some mass transit lines available during the closure:

    • Line 78 (Huntington)
    • Line 18 (6th St)
    • Line 66 (Olympic)
    • Line 30 (Pico)
    • Line 33 (Venice)
    • E Line train
    • J Line bus

    What’s next

    The fire damaged the freeway pillars, but Caltrans is not sure how bad the situation is and how quickly repairs can be made.

    “We see what we call ‘concrete spalling,’ which is chips of concrete that come off, but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the structural engineers can go in and see if the rebar was burned or not,” Wonder said. “This is still developing.”

    Officials expect to provide an update Sunday afternoon.

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    Times staff

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  • 10 Freeway in downtown L.A. shut down indefinitely following fire

    10 Freeway in downtown L.A. shut down indefinitely following fire

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    The 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles was shut down indefinitely in both directions early Saturday after two wooden pallet yards caught fire, damaging an overpass and destroying several vehicles, including a fire truck, authorities said.

    Both westbound and eastbound lanes of the heavily traveled freeway are closed between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue, while structural engineers assess the damage, said Lauren Wonder, a CalTrans spokeswoman.

    “As of now, the freeway is shut down indefinitely,” Wonder said. “I would encourage people to avoid this area between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street.”

    The fire was reported shortly after midnight in the 1700 block of East 14 Street after a pallet yard under the freeway caught fire and spread to a second pallet yard nearby.

    The massive fire prompted Californai Highway Patrol to issue a SigAlert and closed the freeway in both directions. Traffic on the eastbound lanes was being diverted at Santa Fe Avenue while traffic on the westbound lanes was being diverted at Alameda Street.

    Los Angeles fire officials said firefighters from 26 companies and one helicopter responded to the scene and prevented the fire spreading into nearby commercial buildings. Heavy equipment operators were also used to move debris around and allow firefighters to douse small pockets of fire.

    Firefighters douse the still smoldering massive pallet fire that gutted Fire Engine 17, right, which became stuck under the 10 Freeway overpass at 1700 block of East 14th Street on Saturday in Los Angeles.

    (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

    The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also assisted by boosting water pressure in the area to compensate for the high volume needed.

    Fire officials said the fire forced several homeless people to evacuate the area but vehicles parked under or near the freeway were damaged or destroyed. Officials said one of those vehicle was a fire engine.

    The fire was extinguished as of 10 a.m. but firefighters continue to mop up the area. Caltrans officials also remained on the scene.

    Wonder said hazmat teams are waiting on firefighters to finish mopping up the area and will head in to ensure that it’s safe for structural engineers to go in and assess the extent of the damage to the freeway.

    “We see what we call ‘concrete spalling,’ which is chips of concrete that come off but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the structural engineers can go in and see if the rebar was burned or not,” she said. “This is still developing.”

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    Ruben Vives

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  • Woman visiting inmate left overnight in Orange County jail

    Woman visiting inmate left overnight in Orange County jail

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    A woman visiting an inmate at an Orange County jail was forgotten and left overnight in the visitor’s area of the lockup, authorities said.

    The woman, described only as being in her 30s, went to visit a person incarcerated at the Theo Lacy Facility, a maximum security jail, on Saturday, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

    The person she was there to visit was not immediately available, so she was asked to wait in the visiting area, the department said.

    While waiting, the visitor fell asleep in a booth. Visiting hours came and went, but no one noticed the woman, the sheriff said. It was not clear if the woman was locked inside or not.

    She was left there overnight and was found the next morning with a minor laceration to her hand, according to a department press officer. It was not immediately clear how she was injured.

    After the incident, sheriff’s officials launched an internal investigation and made two quick alterations to department protocol.

    Supervisors are now required to physically check the visiting area after visiting hours end for the day. The jail is also planning to install an emergency phone in the area.

    “This unfortunate incident should never have occurred. The department is committed to fully investigate and ensure this never happens again,” said Sgt. Frank Gonzalez, a spokesman for the department.

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    Noah Goldberg

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  • Wind-whipped Highland fire swells to 2,200 acres in Riverside County; 3 structures destroyed

    Wind-whipped Highland fire swells to 2,200 acres in Riverside County; 3 structures destroyed

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    At least three structures were destroyed and six others damaged as a wildfire continued to burn Tuesday in Riverside County, where about 4,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders.

    The Highland fire began around 12:37 p.m. Monday in the unincorporated neighborhood of Aguanga and quickly exploded in size as it met with strong Santa Ana winds and dried vegetation. At least 15 additional structures are threatened by the 2,200-acre blaze, which had 0% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

    More than 300 firefighters are battling the fire from the air and ground, according to Rob Roseen, a public information officer with Cal Fire in Riverside County.

    Winds are coming out of the southeast and pushing the fire northwest, although there is some spread in all directions, he said. A wind advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. across much of the Inland Empire, including Riverside County, with gusts of up to 50 mph possible, according to the National Weather Service.

    “We’re looking at single-digit humidity this afternoon,” said Philip Gonsalves, a meteorologist with the weather service in San Diego, which includes Riverside County in its coverage area. “So from a weather perspective, conditions are favorable for fire growth.”

    Evacuation orders remain in place for residents south of Sage Road and Golden Eagle Drive, north of Cottonwood Creek, west of Boulder Vista and east of Becker Lane, as well as residents south of Highway 371, west of Sorensen Road and north of the San Diego County line.

    An additional evacuation order was issued at 6:20 a.m. Tuesday for residents south of Highway 79, north of the San Diego County line, east of Forest Route 8S07 and west of Crosely Truck Trail.

    An evacuation warning is in effect for areas east of Vail Lake, west of Shirley Way, south of Pueblo Drive and Exa Ely Road, and north of David Street. An evacuation warning is also in effect for areas west of the Cahuilla Tribal Reservation Boundary and north of County Line Road.

    A reception center has been opened at Great Oak High School in Temecula. Large and small animals can be taken to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter.

    In total, approximately 1,139 homes are under evacuation orders, and 489 homes under an evacuation warning, Cal Fire officials said.

    “We just ask that the public please remain vigilant,” public information officer Maggie Cline De La Rosa said in a video update. “If you received an evacuation order, please leave. If you received an evacuation warning, please continue to pay close attention to those.”

    The fire is burning in an area that only recently was saturated by Tropical Storm Hilary, a rare storm that tore through swaths of Southern California in August. Gonsalves, of the weather service, said the storm’s rainfall contributed to “green-up” in the area, or the growth of new grasses, which may have subsequently dried out and could be feeding the fire.

    It’s something experts warned of in the weeks after Hilary made landfall. Nick Schuler, Cal Fire’s deputy director of communications and emergency incident awareness, said in September that fire season was not over and that a prolonged wind event could still fan a blaze.

    “When you have Santa Ana winds — winds that come from the east and blow to the west — it dries everything out,” Schuler said. “If you look at some of the largest fires in California’s history, especially Southern California, they started later in the year.”

    The dry, windy conditions fueled several other small fires across the state, including the Lizzie fire in San Luis Obispo, which was 35% contained at 100 acres Tuesday morning. Crews in San Diego were also battling a small brush fire near Interstate 805 in Kearny Mesa, according to Fox 5 San Diego.

    In the unincorporated area of Aromas, on the border of San Benito and Monterey counties, a small fire ignited around 2 a.m. Tuesday and prompted brief evacuation orders. The fire was contained to a small water district maintenance yard, officials said.

    Roseen, of Cal Fire, said Tuesday that the Highland fire is burning in light grasses and medium brush. Remote mountaintop cameras in the area showed billowing plumes of white smoke.

    “We’ll have an increased augmentation of ground resources today,” he said. “They’ll be bolstered by numerous resources that will be working in the area, as well as our fixed-wing and helicopter assets that will be working over the fire throughout the day to try to build some containment on this.”

    Roseen could not immediately confirm what types of structures had been destroyed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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    Hayley Smith

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  • Fast-moving Highland fire prompts evacuations in Riverside County

    Fast-moving Highland fire prompts evacuations in Riverside County

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    A brush fire has burned more than 300 acres across Riverside County, prompting evacuation orders and road closures.

    The blaze, dubbed the Highland fire, was first reported at 12:37 p.m. near Highlands Road and Aguanga Ranchos Road in the unincorporated neighborhood of Aguanga. Within a few hours, the fire had reached 325 acres and was threatening structures. Firefighters have made no progress at containment.

    An evacuation order was issued for Aguanga residents north of Cottonwood Creek, south of Sage Road and Golden Eagle Drive, west of Boulder Vista and east of Becker Lane. An evacuating warning, a less urgent alert, was issued for an area east of Vail Lake Resort, north of David Street, south of Rancho Pueblo Road and west of Shirley Way.

    CalFire officials published an online map of the evacuation areas.

    A reception and care center for evacuees can be found at Great Oak High School in Temecula, 32555 Deer Hollow Way. Those who have large or small animals that need shelter can drop them off at the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave.

    Road closures were in place along Highway 79 between Sage Road and the San Diego County line, as well as between Sage Road and Wilson Valley Road.

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    Jeremy Childs

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  • Santa Ana winds lead to parking restrictions in Los Angeles amid fire concerns

    Santa Ana winds lead to parking restrictions in Los Angeles amid fire concerns

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    Parking restrictions are in effect in parts of Los Angeles where fire officials have determined that roads need to be clear for potential evacuations — the latest precaution against possible wildfires as strong Santa Ana winds hit Southern California.

    A red flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties will last through at least Monday, with rapid spread expected if a fire were to start, fanned by gusts of 40 to 60 miles an hour and as high as 70 miles an hour in some spots according to the National Weather Service.

    Early Sunday, winds reached 70 miles an hour at Boney Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains and 83 miles an hour at Magic Mountain Truck Trail near Santa Clarita.

    Southern California Edison officials have warned that precautionary power shutoffs could be necessary to prevent fires.

    In Calabasas, officials said that Southern California Edison, which provides power to most of the city, could implement a public safety power shutoff “for virtually ALL circuits” there on Sunday because of the strong winds. “Downed power lines can ignite dry brush and cause wildfires,” the city said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    In Los Angeles, vehicles may be towed in areas where parked cars could pose a problem for firefighters or for evacuees needing to get out of the city quickly, such as very narrow roads, hairpin turns, tight curves and intersections that could create “a choke point,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

    Drivers can type an address into the fire department’s website to see if the red flag parking restrictions, which are in effect until at least Monday morning, apply.

    In parts of the Antelope Valley, Salinas Valley and San Luis Obispo County, residents will also be dealing with cold temperatures. Those areas are under a freeze warning, with temperatures as low as 25 degrees expected Monday and Tuesday.

    Weather officials advise that people facing freeze warnings bring their animals inside, protect sensitive crops and keep a windshield scraper handy.

    Parts of the Bay Area, including the San Mateo Coast and Santa Clara Hills, are also facing powerful winds and red flag warnings this weekend.

    “People need to just be careful right now with anything that could ignite a fire, because if it gets started in the right spot, it has the potential to spread very quickly,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the Los Angeles/Oxnard National Weather Service office.

    Activities that should be avoided include tossing cigarettes out of moving vehicles and leaving a campfire smoldering, Thompson said.

    Last fall, strong Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings downed trees and left thousands of Southern Californians without power during the Thanksgiving holiday.

    “This is a very typical Santa Ana event. It’s nothing unusual for this time of the year,” Thompson said.

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    Mackenzie Mays

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  • Mountain lion attack of person, dog temporarily closes Solstice Canyon in Santa Monica Mountains

    Mountain lion attack of person, dog temporarily closes Solstice Canyon in Santa Monica Mountains

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    Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains was temporarily closed this week after a mountain lion injured a person and tried to attack an unleashed dog, according to officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

    On Tuesday, a person walking a small dog on a leash was injured when a mountain lion tried to attack the dog, officials wrote in a social media post. The person had a scratch and a puncture wound on their hand; National Park Service rangers gave medical aid at the scene. The dog wasn’t hurt. A second mountain lion was also spotted in the area during the incident.

    The park was closed until 8 a.m. Thursday while park wildlife biologists assessed the situation, according to officials.

    “Mountain lions are unpredictable, wild animals,” officials wrote. “While conflicts with humans are rare, there is always a risk when you are recreating in areas used by mountain lions.”

    Experts recommend that if you encounter a mountain lion, make yourself as intimidating and large as possible by waving your arms, yelling and throwing objects toward the animal. Back away and allow space for the mountain lion to move away and don’t turn around and run.

    The last mountain lion attack was about a year ago when the famed cougar, P-22, killed a Chihuahua on its leash after stalking a dog walker in Hollywood Hills, according to the National Park Service. The mountain lion was euthanized because of severe injuries in December 2022.

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    Summer Lin

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  • L.A. City Council approves new West L.A. homeless facility

    L.A. City Council approves new West L.A. homeless facility

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    A homeless housing project in West L.A., backed by Mayor Karen Bass and opposed by some neighborhood groups because of its proximity to residential homes, was approved by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday.

    The council, with exception of one member who was absent, voted unanimously in favor of the 33-bed facility on a city-owned parking lot at Midvale Avenue and Pico Boulevard, across from the former Westside Pavilion. The council also decided that the project is exempt from a comprehensive environmental review.

    Bass, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky and other supporters argue the project will provide relief for the area’s unhoused population. It will also help the city comply with a legal settlement that requires it to add beds.

    “The citywide issue of homelessness deserves a citywide response,” Bass said in a statement Friday. “We must continue to do all that we can to bring unhoused Angelenos inside and I thank Councilmember Yaroslavsky and the City Council for continuing the work to urgently confront the homelessness crisis.”

    Yaroslavsky spoke ahead of the vote, promising residents and business owners who opposed the project that she would secure additional parking before breaking ground and would also develop a neighborhood safety plan with the Los Angeles Police Department and local homeless service providers.

    “But let me be absolutely very clear, we need these beds,” said Yaroslavsky, who represents the area. “I know 33 beds doesn’t seem like a lot, because in all honesty, it’s not. It’s not nearly enough, considering the emergency we’re in right now.”

    Right now, Yaroslavsky said, fewer than 100 of the city’s 16,000 homeless beds are in her district.

    “What this means for my constituents, not only in Westwood but across the entire district, is that when we are trying to resolve an encampment and bring people inside, off the street and into housing, it’s nearly impossible,” she said.

    The facility, which is projected to cost nearly $4.6 million, will include “sleeping cabins” with restrooms in each unit. There will also be on-site laundry facilities, storage bins and office space, according to a report from the city’s Bureau of Engineering. It’s expected to open in about a year, Yaroslavsky told The Times.

    She said residents will have access to mental health and substance use disorder specialists, employment assistance and help finding permanent housing. There will be 24-hour security on-site. Most of the beds will be reserved for people who have ties to the area.

    The Westside Neighborhood Council voted last week to oppose the project because it would be near homes and businesses along Pico Boulevard. The group also expressed “dismay that other sites were not being evaluated as alternatives.”

    Controversy over the proposed facility ratcheted up earlier this week when Bass abruptly removed the president of the Transportation Commission days after he led his colleagues in delaying a vote on an environmental review waiver.

    At a commission meeting, President Eric Eisenberg had expressed concern about the waiver and asked for a delay so the panel could hear more about the project from city representatives.

    On Monday, Eisenberg said, he was informed by the mayor’s office that he was no longer a commissioner. Bass’ office has declined to explain why she removed Eisenberg.

    At a special meeting on Wednesday, the Transportation Commission — now operating without Eisenberg — approved the waiver.

    Bass has made reducing homelessness her top issue. Her Inside Safe initiative seeks to quickly move unhoused Angelenos into motels and hotels, and she has ordered city departments to hasten the construction of affordable housing and shelters.

    Eisenberg, in a statement he provided to The Times, said he wasn’t convinced the project should be exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

    A “project of thirty small homes, with sewage, plumbing lines, and trash disposal, [could] cause a situation, where the benefits of the project do not outweigh the hazards to the community,” he wrote.

    Barbara Broide, a neighborhood council member, urged the City Council at a committee hearing on the project earlier this month to look at different sites, including one on Cotner Avenue.

    “We’re here to tell you this is the wrong location,” Broide said. “It’s a good project for another place.”

    Broide was one of several residents who hoped to address the City Council before Friday’s vote. But the council did not allow comments until afterward.

    “I just wanted the council to know that it has shredded the faith that dozens of my neighbors have in their government,” said Meg Sullivan, who lives in the council district. “They came here today to let you know their very reasonable concerns, which I share, about putting housing on a much-needed public lot on Midvale, and yet they were not able to speak.”

    Margaret Gillespie, a member of the Westside Neighborhood Assn., spoke in support of the project.

    “I want to thank Councilmember Yaroslavsky for her leadership on this very difficult issue. It’s difficult because of all the misinformation that circulates and the false narratives about the homeless,” she said. “I support the project because 25 of the 30 units are reserved for people who live here.”

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    Dakota Smith, Ruben Vives

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  • Taylor Swift Wears Sparkly Shorts to Travis Kelce’s Game — Shop the Best Dupes

    Taylor Swift Wears Sparkly Shorts to Travis Kelce’s Game — Shop the Best Dupes

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    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    Taylor Swift is officially in her sporty era, continuing her off-duty sartorial streak with another moment that’s left fans completely obsessed. On Sunday, Oct. 1, the singer supported her alleged beau, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, as his team played against the New York Jets. Friends Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Brittany Mahomes, and Sophie Turner also joined Swift for the big game day.

    The 33-year-old’s ensemble included one of fall’s most classic outfit combinations: jeans and boots. She started with a sleek black long-sleeved crewneck shirt, which accented her Christian Louboutin knee-high boots. The piĂšce de rĂ©sistance was a pair of Area embellished denim shorts (which are currently sold out but eligible for restock notification). Replete with silver studs along the zipper and right pocket, they were nothing short of eye-catching. Swift accessorized with an assortment of gold and silver jewelry, including the Queen Cuban choker and pavĂ© diamond Trillion Toggle from Logan Hollowell. She also rocked her signature bangs, cherry-red lips, and black chrome nails.

    Swift’s latest appearance aligns with her more relaxed approach to an offstage wardrobe. Just last week, she appeared at Kelce’s first game of the season in a team-inspired outfit that featured a red, black, and white Chiefs windbreaker; distressed denim Ksubi shorts; and New Balance 550 sneakers. Her other casual looks included a knit Reformation dress and boots combo for a dinner date with friend Sophie Turner and a pleated Free People miniskirt and striped button-down shirt midsummer in New York City.

    The “Cruel Summer” singer’s Eras Tour costumes are just as noteworthy. Throughout the culture-defining concert series, which is being documented in movie form, Swift has conquered the stage in a host of monumental looks. Her Elie Saab Haute Couture tulle ballgown blooms into a dramatic organza skirt, and her minidresses and catsuits are designed by the likes of Versace, Roberto Cavalli, and Oscar de la Renta.

    As we anticipate Swift’s next game-day appearance, keep scrolling to shop pieces from her outfit, along with more affordable options.

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    Naomi Parris

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