The hangar, a popular filming location for several television shows and movies such as "Pearl Harbor" and "Star Trek," was still ablaze hours after the fire broke out around 1 a.m., according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The authority also shared dramatic footage of the iconic structure being consumed by flames.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported immediately following the incident. However, parts of the hangar's roof collapsed as firefighters battled the blaze from outside the structure, which is typically vacant, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Fire Captain Thanh Nguyen, speaking to KTLA, described the situation as "definitely not a normal fire." Due to the complexity of the operation, incident commanders decided to deploy helicopters alongside truck companies. These Chinook helicopters are typically used in fighting wildfires.
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"Our firefighters are situated outside [the hangar] and they are placing their units in the most advantageous spots to get water into the structure. Then, should the building collapse, they are not in the line of fire," Nguyen explained.
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The fire also threatened to spread to a second blimp hangar. The twin hangars, each standing 17 stories tall, over 1,000 feet long, and approximately 300 feet wide, are among the world's largest freestanding wooden structures. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to KTLA.
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Since World War II, the hangars have been a fixture on Warner Avenue, serving as the home port for a dozen blimps used for submarine patrol and later helicopters before being decommissioned in 1999. The hangars have also been used as filming locations for several blockbuster movies and popular TV shows, including "Pearl Harbor," "Star Trek," "JAG," and "The X Files," as reported by NBC LA. The Tustin Hangar 5K race is also held at the location.
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Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy expressed his sorrow over the incident, stating, "It’s a sad day for the city of Tustin, for all of Orange County." Seventy firefighters, 11 engines, five firetrucks, and several helicopters were deployed to combat the blaze, according to the LA Times.
Local resident Debbie Baker, 70, was awakened by the sounds of helicopters overhead. Speaking to the LA Times, she said, "It’s so sad. For years those hangars welcomed us home. It’s what made this community special."
The hangars, erected by the military in 1942 as part of the now-defunct Tustin Naval Air Station, were constructed primarily from Oregon Douglas fir. Metallic salts were used in the wood as a fire retardant. Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard noted that many residents had personal connections to the hangars through their work on the base. He told the LA Times, "This is not the end for what we call the north hangar that was envisioned. It’s not the dignified treatment that it deserves."
