Caltrans conducted annual safety inspections at the site of the 10 Freeway fire over the last 15 years and had not issued any warnings about the flammable materials stacked throughout the property, according to tenants who claim they have become scapegoats for the disaster.
The most recent inspection took place Oct. 6, roughly a month before a suspected arsonist turned the lot into an inferno that shut down one of the busiest freeways in the country.
A Caltrans spokesperson confirmed the frequency of the inspections, but was unable to provide information about the results or a copy of the latest report. A California Public Records Act request submitted by the Southern California News Group is still pending.
“Caltrans staff inspect all airspace lease sites at least annually to check for potential safety hazards and lease violations,” said Eric Menjivar, a spokesperson for Caltrans District 7. “Staff also monitor what is placed or stored on site by the tenant. If deficiencies are noted, Caltrans staff notifies the tenant for remedy.”
Though tenants say otherwise, it’s unclear if such a notice was ever issued to Apex Development, the Calabasas company that leased the roughly 48,000-square-foot space beneath the 10 Freeway where the fire originated. Apex rented the land through a state-run program that leases “airspaces” beneath bridges and freeways as a revenue source for mass transportation projects.
No major issues raised
Rudy Serafin, the owner of Serafin Distribution, one of a dozen companies subleasing from Apex, said someone from Caltrans came by around May each year and would make small requests, such as asking Serafin to move a pallet off of a sewer drain. But the employee never raised any issues with the types of materials being stored or their proximity to the columns supporting the freeway above, according to Serafin.
The employee didn’t contact Apex when he needed access or assistance, he went directly to the company’s tenants,…
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