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Firefighters were dispatched to the Tustin Air Base in Southern California, greeted by a blazing structure fire in a WWII-era wooden hangar. The three-alarm fire raged on in the early hours of Tuesday morning, consuming the 17-story structure as the firefighters worked on the ground and in the air in helicopters to contain the fire. The hangar collapsed, piece by piece, destroying a structure built in 1942 and used by the Navy, Marine Corps and is even seen in Hollywood movies.
Orange County Fire Fighters were dispatched at 12:53 a.m. on Tuesday to the historic hangars at the Tustin Air Base after reports of a fire. The first units arrived to see a large fire impacting the north hangar, calling for two additional alarms. More than 70 firefighters, water tenders and helicopters were called to the scene. The Orange County Fire Authority reported that the crews went into a defensive strategy due to the threat of collapse. Helicopters were used to combat the fire due to the massive size of the structure and the looming threat of collapse.At approximately 12:53 this morning OCFA was dispatched to the historic hangars at the Tustin Air Base. Units found heavy fire coming from the north hangar and called for a 3rd alarm. OCFA Copter 2 along with @SOCAL_QRF Copter 76 and Helitanker 47 were requested to assist in… pic.twitter.com/QYfq46ifzf— SoCal Air Operations (@SocalAirOps) November 7, 2023
The hangars are 17 stories high, more than 1,000 feet long and 300 feet wide. Due to the massive size, the fire fighters had to employ the use of three helicopters to help fight the fire. After several hours fighting the blaze, OFCA reported that the only way to move forward, was to allow the structure to collapse.
"Due to the dynamic nature of the fire, and the imminent danger of collapse, we have determined the most operationally sound method is to allow the structure to collapse, at which point ground crews can move in closer, and aggressively work to extinguish the fire," OCFA said in a statement on social media.
By the afternoon, the hangar was collapsing in sections, with crews on the ground to monitor the ensuing blaze and keep it contained.
The OCFA held a press conference Tuesday morning to update the public on the ongoing situation. Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said that no injuries had been reported and there were no lives at risk inside the hangar or in the surrounding area. He said the fire would likely continue to burn for several hours, or even several days. The police department is investigating and has asked the public to come forward with any information regarding the fire or anything involving the hangar in the last few days.
The destroyed hangar was one of two built in 1942. These hangars are two of the largest wooden structures ever constructed and in 1993 they were designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. According to The Guardian, the hangars were used by the Navy to store lighter-than-air ships for patrol and antisubmarine defense. The Navy installation later became a Marine Corps air station in the 1950s and closed in 1999. The hangars have been featured in TV shows, commercials and movies including The X-Files and Pearl Harbor.
The north hangar had been closed off since sustaining roof damage during a windstorm in 2013. There were plans in the works to transform the former base, with the fate of the hangars uncertain. The hangars have been a part of the region for decades and residents are stunned by the destruction.
"I woke up and heard all these helicopters flying over and I looked out and saw the smoke and the flames," resident Steve Kinney told ABC 7. "These things have been here since as long as I've been around and it's hard to believe that this one's probably going away."
"To lose these, we'll never see anything like this again."