By now, most Los Angeles residents (and even some of our visitors) are aware that the Los Angeles County Metro Agency is currently working on a significant project involving the I-405 Freeway. A HOV lane is being added on the northbound I-405 Freeway from the I-10 to the US 101. To accomplish this, the demolition and subsequent reconstruction of the Mulholland Drive Bridge, will require a full freeway closure of both the I-405 Freeway and the Mulholland Drive overpass in both directions for up to 53 continuous hours. This weekend, July 15 through July 18, it is anticipated that traffic may be backed-up as far as 68 miles to the south and 23 miles to the north.

This is what your Los Angeles Fire Department is doing...

A Unified Command (incorporating LAFD, CHP, LADOT & LAPD) has been developed to manage all "issues" associated with this freeway closure. The Los Angeles Fire Department is responsible for Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Services within, what Unified Command is referring to, as an "Operational Area." This will effectively capture all of the impacted areas up and down the I-405 Freeway.

The LAFD has developed a "response plan" to address the potential for increased response times that may result from the I-405 Freeway closure. The LAFD will strategically pre-deploy and also staff, additional resources consisting of trucks, engines and other Fire apparatus to handle all emergencies throughout the Sepulveda pass area. An additional 200 Firefighters will be deployed as follows:

Mountain Gate - 1 Engine, 2 Rescue Ambulance, Brush Patrol.
Bel Air Crest - 1 Engine, 2 Rescue Ambulance, Brush Patrol.
Fire Station 99 - 1 Truck Company, 3 Engine Companies, 2 Rescue Ambulance, 1 Brush Patrol,
1 Motorcycle Recon Team, 1 Water Tender and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 109 - 1 Truck Company, 3 Engine Companies, 2 Rescue Ambulance, 1 Brush Patrol, 1 Motorcycle Recon Team, 1 Water Tender and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 59 -  3 Engine Companies and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 19 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Fire Station 69 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Fire Station 71 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Air Operations - 1 additional Air Ambulance (helicopter).

As always, the LAFD will work in conjunction with with Los Angeles County DHS to ensure the best possible patient care and will closely monitor any transportation issues, as well as hospital availability.

As a reminder, on-ramp and off-ramp closures are scheduled to begin as early as 7pm on Friday, July 15, 2011. Freeway lane closures will begin, one-by-one, starting at 10pm, in order to achieve a "full closure" by midnight, July 16, 2011. The "full-closure" will remain in effect until Monday, July 18, 2011, until approximately 5am, when I-405 is scheduled to re-open. All ramps and connectors are scheduled to be re-opened by 6am.

Want to stay up-to-date during the 53-hour closure of the I-405 freeway?

Click here for detour maps, closure boundaries, and time lapse photography of the demolition.

Click here for real time traffic conditions on the regional alternate freeways.

Click here for updated messages via twitter.

Submitted by Erik Scott & Matthew Spence, Spokesmen

Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - LAFD & I-405 Freeway Closure - Update

On Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 5:15 AM, 20 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 2 Rehab Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 135 Los Angeles Firefighters, as well as one civilian CERT Coordinator under the command of Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 11925 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

Firefighters arrived quickly to discover heavy smoke showing from the upstairs rear of a modern two-story 'L' shaped 'strip mall' of commercial businesses.

With fire suddenly through the roof, firefighters used power and hand tools to force entry into the smoke-charged businesses. Fire teams found intensly entrenched flames in the recesses of a first floor restaurant, extending through a massage and skin care firm above.

With the expertise of firefighters performing vertical ventilation, the horizontal spread of the fire was soon stemmed, as firefighters fought the stubborn blaze on two floors beneath them.

Despite structural compromise and seemingly unyielding fire, the flames were confined to the structure of origin and extinguished in just 53 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Though not in imminent peril, two occupants of an adjacent building to the east were found to have been sleeping in their business. Awakened by firefighters, they were safely escorted from the scene.

Loss to the heavily damaged Yekta Restaurant and Wat Po Thai Spa Massage above, as well as the adjacent El Super Taco and Monte Alban Restaurant, is still being tabulated.

The cause of this pre-dawn blaze remains under active investigation.

(photos) (video) (video)


Submitted by Brian Humphrey and Devin Gales, Spokesmen
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Predawn Fire Damages West L.A. Strip Mall