California Will Seek U.S. Aid For Tanker Fire Damage Repair
Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County because of last week’s big-rig gasoline tanker fire that torched an overpass on State Route 60.
The Dec. 14 blaze caused major damage requiring demolition and reconstruction of the Paramount Boulevard bridge in Montebello and it forced a three-day closure of a 10-mile stretch of the freeway.
The governor’s emergency proclamation on Tuesday directs the California Department of Transportation to request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program.
The proclamation notes the inferno led to traffic congestion and impaired movement of goods and services.
Brown says the magnitude of the destruction is likely to be beyond the control of the local governments.