Fire fighters battle waterfront blaze 12 hours in Port of LA

WORKERS at the TraPac, Yang Ming, China Shipping, Pasaha, NYK, APL and Evergreen terminals have been told to check with employers before going to work after fire broke out in the Port of Los Angeles, reports GAC Hot Port News.

Fire boats, scuba divers and ground crew were deployed at the start of the 12-hour blaze that broke out at 6.40pm Monday in the 800 block of South Fries Avenue, threatening nearby cargo ships.

The Los Angeles and Long Beach Fire Departments fought the fire beneath a steel warehouse, causing the area to be evacuated of 800 dock workers.

At first, the fire had been contained to a 50-foot by 800-foot area, but efforts to extinguish it continued for more than 12 hours as crews struggled to reach flames within multiple layers of heavy timber soaked in dark, tar-like liquid creosote.

Creosote is a chemical product from the distillation of a tar useful for its anti-septic, preservative properties.