A fire broke out last night in what appeared to be a homeless encampment in the Jergins Tunnel that runs under Ocean Boulevard, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.

Firefighters rushed to the blaze shortly before midnight and doused it before it could spread, according to Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jake Heflin.

Nobody was hurt in the blaze, but crews are always concerned when responding to the Jergins Tunnel because of the confined space and limited access that can trap people inside or exacerbate the smoke and flames, Heflin said.

The tunnel, just east of Pine Avene, has been sealed since 1967 after it served for nearly 40 years as a pedestrian pathway under Ocean Boulevard.

It has remained a source of nostalgia and, in recent years, regained notoriety: In 2022, pop star Lana Del Rey referenced it in her song “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.,” and the mayor announced in 2023 that the tunnel would be used as a speakeasy at the Hard Rock Hotel expected to break ground on the vacant lot at Pine and Ocean.

It’s also been a nuisance.

Intruders once again set fire to the tunnel Jergins Tunnel under Ocean Boulevard on the night of Monday, Feb. 3. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

Over the years, periodic fires in the tunnel have required crews to repeatedly board up its south entrance.

Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said the fire “is a reminder about the serious consequences that can result from homeless encampments.”

Haubert, who has supported using criminal penalties as a tool to compel people living on the streets into services, said the city is making progress on encampments, “but that progress is slow. I know we can do a lot better.  We need to do a better job throughout the city.”

After firefighters doused the flames overnight, workers were again called to attempt to seal off access to the Jergins Tunnel, Heflin said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with quotes from Haubert.

Jeremiah Dobruck is executive editor of the Long Beach Post where he oversees all day-to-day newsroom operations. In his time working as a journalist in Long Beach, he’s won numerous awards for his investigative reporting and editing. Before coming to the Post in 2018, he wrote for publications including the Press-Telegram, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.