California wildfires shut down highways, destroy infrastructure

The raging wildfires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties have resulted in road closures, tens of thousands of evacuations, and hundreds of thousands of burned acreage and buildings as the state calls for emergency action.    California Governor Edmund G. Brown issued an emergency proclamation on Tuesday for Ventura County due to the raging wildfires in Ventura County and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles.
   Gov. Brown said that the fire in Ventura, known as the Thomas Fire, “has damaged and continues to threaten critical infrastructure, causing widespread power outages, and has forced the closure of major highways and local roads.”
   Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands of residents have evacuated, with no sign of a reprieve as extreme weather conditions, including strong winds, continue to spread the fire.  
   According to the New York Times, more than 116,000 acres were burned in Los Angeles and Ventura counties by Thursday morning, with less than 15 percent of the fires contained. Furthermore, the wildfires have resulted in the shutdown of major roads and freeways in the region as the fire inches closer towards Los Angeles. A major coastal route north from Los Angeles – the 101 Freeway – is currently closed, according to reports.
   MIQ Logistics, headquartered in Kansas but with offices in Los Angeles, informed customers on Thursday that infrastructure and road closures would impact supply chain operations. MIQ Logistics noted that the entire Sepulveda Pass and 405 Freeway were closed, as well as Highway 150, Highway 33 and multiple exits on Highway 126 and 210 Freeway.
   The Port of Los Angeles is currently not experiencing any effect on operations resulting from the wildfires, however. A spokesperson from the port told American Shipper that as long as all the key roadways to and from the port are open, operations should not be impacted. Key highways such as Interstate 5 are still operational, the spokesperson said.
   Current weather forecasts have the winds lessening by the weekend, which may give firefighters a chance to further contain the flames, reports said.