Firefighters on Monday morning were battling a trash fire burning along the Los Angeles River.<\/p>\n
The fire started at about 9:40 a.m. just west of the River between Pacific Coast Highway and Anaheim Street, according to Long Beach Fire Department spokesperson Dennis Garrett.<\/p>\n
The resulting plumes of black smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles.<\/p>\n
It was in an area that has had a few similar fires in the past because the area has become an \u201cunofficial dumping ground\u201d used by unhoused people living along the river, Garrett said.<\/p>\n
Crews at the scene requested foam to help knock down the flames, Garrett said. The California Highway Patrol shut down the PCH off-ramp from the northbound 710 Freeway until at least 11:45 a.m.<\/p>\n
Around 250 people live along the 9.5-mile segment of the L.A. River that runs through Long Beach, city officials estimated last year. Right now, Long Beach\u2019s homelessness services bureau is in the middle of a two-year, $17.4 million project ($11 million from a state grant) to try to house as many of them as possible<\/a>.<\/p>\n