Lisa Anderson president of Claremont, CA-based LMA Consulting Group, Inc. gives her comments to how commercial operators were scrambling to keep goods moving as a massive wildfire east of Los Angeles shut down one of the nation’s major freight corridors for nearly two days, pinching access in and out of Southern California’s busy seaports and inland distribution centers.
================
Commercial operators were scrambling to keep goods moving as a massive wildfire east of Los Angeles shut down one of the nation’s major freight corridors for nearly two days, pinching access in and out of Southern California’s busy seaports and inland distribution centers.
By Thursday, some interstate freeways and rail lines through the Cajon Pass—key to shipping and commuting between Southern California and the interior U.S.—had reopened after the Blue Cut Fire burning on the eastern edge of the Angeles National Forest had rendered the area impassable Tuesday and Wednesday.
The fire, which started Tuesday, had grown to more than 31,600 acres by Thursday afternoon, and was 4% contained. Temperatures hit the high 90s and strong winds continue to push the flames. More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the flames, and 82,000 people were still under evacuation orders.
At evacuation centers, many anxiously awaited news about the fate of their homes. Fire officials have said they believe numerous structures sustained damage.
Published in Wall Street Journal on Aug. 18, 2016