A pair of big rigs collided and burst into flames on the 710 Freeway in Long Beach, sending a thick column of black smoke into the sky and triggering a major firefighting response. The crash forced authorities to shut down multiple lanes, instantly choking traffic on one of Southern California’s most heavily traveled freight routes.
Video from the scene shows at least one tractor-trailer fully engulfed in flames while firefighters work to knock down the blaze, and nearby tow crews stage to haul away the mangled rigs. According to NBC Los Angeles, the fiery collision between the two big rigs prompted lane closures as crews fought the fire and worked to secure the scene.
Why the 710 matters
The 710 is the main pipeline between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and it regularly carries a crush of heavy truck traffic. That means any shutdown on the freeway can quickly ripple through the region’s commute and freight patterns. As the Los Angeles Times has outlined, the corridor handles a massive share of the goods moving to and from the ports and has a long record of congestion and truck-related incidents.
Response and investigation
Long Beach firefighters and the California Highway Patrol responded to put out the flames and keep traffic from pushing into the crash zone, while tow operators and Caltrans crews moved in to deal with wreckage, spilled cargo, and leaking fluids. NBC Los Angeles reported that investigators were on scene collecting evidence, and that traffic on the 710 was still affected as of the outlet’s latest update.
What drivers should know
Drivers headed through the Long Beach stretch of the 710 should plan for serious delays and, if possible, steer toward alternate routes until all lanes reopen and the wreckage is cleared. Because local freeways are so tightly tied to port activity, crashes like this one can trigger hours-long backups for cargo haulers and spark wider economic ripple effects, according to the Los Angeles Times.
