(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Officials believe I-10 fire was arson [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-11-14 Surprised no one has mentioned this—at least that I’ve seen—but late yesterday, we got some answers about what caused a massive fire under Interstate 10 in downtown Los Angeles this past weekend. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a preliminary investigation indicates the fire under what many in Southern California call “the 10 Freeway” was an act of arson. The fire began under the overpass at Alameda Street early Saturday morning, fueled by wood pallets stored there. Although the exact cause of the fire has not been revealed, “there was [malicious] intent,” Newsom said at a news conference Monday afternoon. In addition to pallets, sanitizer accumulated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was stored under the overpass and helped fuel the flames, according to sources familiar with the probe who were not authorized to discuss details of the investigation. So a fire that crippled one of the busiest highways in the world was deliberately set. Newsom made the announcement at a briefing on Monday night. Watch here, via KABC-TV. Newsom said that the preliminary investigation revealed the fire took place “within the fenceline” of a facility near the overpass, and that the fire was “done and sent intentionally.” According to USA Today, he added that investigators are trying to determine how many perpetrators were involved. It could have been far worse, though. After initial fears that the damaged stretch would have to be demolished, officials now believe it could take anywhere from three to five weeks—well into the start of the Christmas shopping season—to get it repaired. Suffice to say that whoever did this must be tracked down and locked up for as long as legally possible—and get the bill for repairs. Things like this make me wish there was a way to enact a domestic terrorism law that couldn’t be used to impinge on civil liberties. By any standard, intentionally damaging a major highway is domestic terrorism. Perhaps California could take a cue from Missouri, which has long had a law on the books that makes it a felony to “knowingly cause a catastrophe”—defined as “death or serious physical injury to ten or more people or substantial damage to five or more buildings or inhabitable structures or substantial damage to a vital public facility which seriously impairs its usefulness or operation.” It carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life. The only person ever convicted under that statute was James Scott. He was convicted of causing a massive flood of the Mississippi River in 1993 by allegedly deliberately sabotaging a levee at West Quincy, Missouri—across the river from its larger namesake in Illinois—as part of the Great Flood of 1993. He was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison, to run consecutively with a 10-year sentence for burglary in his native Illinois. There has been some debate over his innocence, mainly centered on questions about the levee failing due to natural causes. Adam Pitluk of Vice put together this video in July 2022 detailing those issues. No one, however, has questioned the constitutionality of that law. It’s narrowly tailored enough that it’s a good starting point for a domestic terrorism law—and it fits the I-10 fire like a glove. If there’s not currently a way to ensure whoever did this is locked up for a long time, it’s time for California to be about it. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/14/2205868/-Officials-believe-I-10-fire-was-arson?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/