Lithium-ion battery fire finally extinguished at ports; Vincent Thomas Bridge, 47 Freeway to remain closed 24 to 48 hours

A truck carrying lithium-ion batteries overturned on the 47 Freeway Thursday, causing the batteries to catch fire and forcing authorities to shut down a section of the freeway as well as the Vincent Thomas Bridge, backing up port and commuter traffic.

The accident happened around noon on Terminal Island at the intersection of Navy Way and Seaside Avenue (the name of 47 Freeway on the island). Both the freeway and bridge remain closed in both directions, with no estimated time for reopening, according to CalTrans spokesperson Michael Comeaux.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel monitored the fire overnight, which burned off and on as chemical reactions took place, according to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange. To avoid spreading the hazardous contaminants, the department is allowing the fire to burn itself out, Prange added, saying the closures are expected to last at least 24 to 48 hours.

The fire finally went out early Friday afternoon, Caltrans announced.

Dousing a lithium-ion battery fire could take tens, if not hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, Prange explained. Even once the fire is extinguished, it can spontaneously reignite days or even weeks later due to the chemicals, he said.

When similar incidents occur in more remote areas, the batteries will sometimes be moved away from roads to allow the fire to burn themselves off, according to Prange said, recalling a recent accident in San Bernardino. Within the port complex, however, there are no safe areas to move the batteries — and getting them out of the area would require transporting them near residences.

For now, the more than seven agencies on scene, including the LAFD’s Joint Hazard Assessment Team, will continue to monitor the situation, including monitoring for any potential hazardous runoff, Prange said.

Despite the various agencies’ efforts to minimize impacts to port operations, with a major entry point to Terminal Island closed, the incident is wreaking havoc on operations at the San Pedro Bay ports. At the Port of Los Angeles, APM Terminals, Fenix Marine, Everport and Yusen Terminals closed Friday as crews continue to work at the scene.

“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,” the agency said in a statement.

Trapac and West Basin Container Terminal as well as the World Cruise Center remain open.

At the Port of Long Beach, two container terminals at piers T and A are closed at least until 5 p.m., according to spokesperson Lee Peterson. All other container terminals, including LBCT, ITS, PCT and SSA at Pier C are open, he said.

Despite the interruption, Peterson said "it is not expected that the incident will greatly impact the flow of cargo."

The ports have been handling record container cargo volumes in recent months, with the Port of Long Beach setting a new record in August. A possible strike by dockworkers at all East and Gulf coast ports on Oct. 1 has shifted cargo from those ports to the San Pedro Bay.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from Caltrans.

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