In Tustin: Enormous Blaze Persists in the Iconic World War II Blimp Hangar
Historic WWII Blimp Hangar in Tustin Engulfed in a Towering Inferno
Early Tuesday morning, a team of dedicated firefighters in Tustin, California, faced a daunting challenge as they battled a colossal blaze at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. The fire, which ignited inside one of the two historic wooden hangars, posed a significant threat, drawing immediate attention from the Orange County Fire Authority.
The inferno erupted within a wooden structure situated at the intersection of Valencia Avenue and Armstrong Road, a location with a rich history dating back to World War II. These mammoth hangars once served as a haven for blimps employed by the U.S. Navy during the wartime era, tasked with patrolling the southern California coastline in search of enemy submarines.
As the clock struck 1 a.m., emergency crews rushed to the scene, where they were met with a heart-wrenching sight—flames erupting through the roof of the wooden behemoth. In an extraordinary effort to bring the fire under control, helicopters, typically reserved for battling wildfires, were summoned to the scene.
Despite the scale of the fire, a unique and challenging obstacle presented itself. The base, having been decommissioned, had its water supply shut off, leaving the firefighters grappling with a scarce resource essential to their mission. Captain Thanh Nguyen of the OC Fire Authority described the extraordinary measures they had to take: “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.”
The hangar, an imposing structure that stands at a towering 17 stories, stretches over 1,000 feet in length and spans 300 feet in width. Its historic significance extends beyond its role in World War II; it has graced the silver screen in numerous Hollywood productions, with appearances in TV shows such as “JAG,” “The X Files,” and blockbuster movies like “Austin Powers,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Star Trek.”
With such a monumental fire at hand, the Orange County Fire Authority is urging the public to steer clear of the area. Firefighters remain diligently committed to monitoring and managing the blaze, and the historic wooden hangar’s fate hangs in the balance, echoing its significant role in history and Hollywood alike.
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
