Brush Fire Halts Rush Hour Traffic at 605/405 Transition
A homeless encampment is cited as the cause of the blaze, which is now extinguished.
A homeless encampment was blamed for a Wednesday afternoon brush fire that slowed traffic on the south 605 Freeway near the transition to the 405, the CHP said.
The fire broke out just after 4 p.m., creating billowing black smoke and slowing rush hour traffic to a crawl. In response, Long Beach firefighters asked the CHP to shut down the slow lane.
The blaze was extinguished by 5 p.m. and the lane reopened, a Highway Patrol spokesman Ray Payton said.
Earlier reports blamed the fire on a vehicle that struck an embankment, but the CHP later revised the story.
It's unclear what steps Caltrans might take to deal with the homeless encampment. A similar incident took place last July in the same area.
Angel Garcia
8:05 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I was stuck in this. Not too happy about it.
Paige Austin
9:26 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I was thinking you might be. At least you got a leisurely opportunity to take in all the freeway construction work happening as part of the West County Connector Project...
Shawn Pearson
9:38 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
All homeless encampments along the freeway and other rights of way should be immediately abolished. We owe nothing to these illegally squatting vagrants. They are a blight on our highways and, as in this case, cause needless delay to the working class, potential risk of life and limb of our heroic firefighters.
met00
10:55 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Shawn, maybe we could use them for NRA target practice since they seem to serve no useful purpose in your world. I actually had the opportunity to meet one of these "blight"s, well, he wasn't always a vagrant. He was a Marine. He was unable to get work (because of his PTS, which the VA says he didn't have - he can't concentrate enough to hold even the most menial position) and has resorted to "living where people can't see me."
Welcome home boys. We sent you to fight a war and when you get back you are, what did you just call him? An "illegally squating vagrant" and a "blight".
Forget root cause or attempting to adress it, as long as you aren't bothered on your commute and don't have to see them, that's all that maters.
This is such a sad commentary on what our society has become.