In what some are calling a “tragic” and “disappointing” event, a massive fire decimated one of two historic blimp hangars at the former Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin on Tuesday. These historical structures, which once housed blimps utilized during World War II, had been designated as “civil engineering landmarks” of the 20th century. They had also been featured in numerous TV shows and films, such as “JAG,” “The X Files,” “Austin Powers,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Star Trek.”
Crews first arrived at the scene around 1 a.m. near the intersection of Valencia Avenue and Armstrong Road. They discovered flames bursting through the roof of the wooden building, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Firefighters called in helicopters typically used to battle wildfires to help control the flames, which continued to burn through Tuesday afternoon and were finally considered under control around 10 p.m.
The base is no longer operational, so the water supply for the building had been turned off, presenting challenges for fire crews to extinguish the flames. “We had to create a relay system, using over 1,000 feet of hose dropped on the ground to get water from hydrants on the street to our trucks on the other side of the building,” said Capt. Thanh Nguyen, OC Fire Authority.
Tustin Police Department’s Major Crime investigators have launched a probe into the potential cause of the fire. “We are working hand in hand with the Orange County Fire Authority’s arson unit as well,” said Tustin police Lieutenant Ryan Coe. “Obviously, this is a big structure. … We need to try to figure out where did this thing start inside here and how did it start.”
The wooden building, originally constructed in 1942 to store large blimps used by the U.S. Navy to patrol the southern California coastline for enemy submarines during WWII, is 17 stories tall, over 1,000 feet long, and 300 feet wide.
Tustin residents expressed their sorrow at the loss of the hangar. “It’s tragic,” said Karen Luchesi, who has lived in the area for decades. “I’ve been around since this was an active base, and the blimp hangars have always been just the model of our military and our past.” Dozens of people gathered to witness the conclusion of an era. “Just growing up here, playing in these fields, just seeing it end like this — it’s disappointing,” said Nicholas Dominguez, another resident.
Police have requested that the public avoid the area as fire crews continue to monitor the large fire.
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