An elaborate, illegal and risky fireworks display on the 6th Street Bridge was the latest in a series of illicit events that have put the picturesque downtown Los Angeles bridge in the spotlight.
The incident occurred on January 27, but was recounted on social media, where it recently attracted attention.
Firefighters responded after a group of unidentified people shot off several fireworks from the bridge, lighting up the sky and showering the asphalt with sparks as people gathered to take videos and photographs.
The Instagram-popular bridge has been the scene of takeovers and taggers, arch climbers and copper cable thieves since it was completed in July 2022. Someone got a haircut as cars whizzed by.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the fireworks display a “reckless incident” that endangered both pedestrians and drivers. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Los Angeles.
“The use of unpermitted commercial-grade fireworks is dangerous and has no place on busy roads,” Bass said in a statement. “The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of this incident and is using all available resources to prevent it from happening again.”
A Los Angeles police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment or questions about whether the incident was under investigation.
In a video posted on Instagram, several people are seen on the side of the bridge unloading what appear to be several boxes of fireworks.
Many of the people are wearing dark hoodies and some are wearing face masks.
The video also shows several people setting off fireworks in the street, including a lot stopped by an orange traffic cone, as cars continue to cross the bridge.
In the video, a person's voice can be heard telling people which batch to light first.
“As soon as they're in the air, we'll attack everything, okay?” you hear the person say.
Red fireworks are then seen exploding over the bridge.
Several fireworks are seen lighting up the sky at the same time, being shot into the air as people walk around the fireworks and on the bridge, now filled with smoke from the fireworks. A few meters away you can see several parked vehicles.
Sparks are seen landing on the pavement as people walk through the traffic lanes recording the spectacle on their phones. At several points you can see vehicles stopped or driving on the bridge.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they put out several fireworks that appeared to be on fire on the ground.
With its long arches and lights looming over the viaduct, the 6th Street Bridge has become a beacon for Angelenos and the curious. It has attracted people looking for content on social media and those more interested in the illicit.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson said firefighters were called at 10:27 p.m. on Jan. 27 to a trash fire on the bridge.
Firefighters put out several fireworks that were still burning on the bridge.
No injuries were reported and the spokesperson said firefighters were at the scene for about six minutes.
