The historic blimp hangar in Tustin caught on fire on Tuesday morning, taking with it 80 years of history as a Marine Corps base in Orange County.
Discovered at 1 a.m., the blaze led to the evacuation of many residents as the Orange County Fire Authority combatted the quickly progressing flames. As two of the largest wooden structures ever built, the 17-story high hangars were especially susceptible to such a fire, though investigations regarding the cause of the fire are still ongoing. According to KTLA, the investigation will eventually be turned over to the U.S. military, as the property is still owned by the U.S. Navy.
“It’s a sad day for the City of Tustin and all of Orange County,” Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said in a public statement. “But we are fortunate that no injuries have been reported and we are in a position to extinguish the blaze without putting firefighters at risk, albeit several days.”
I think it’s more of the living history and having it be connected to the local community. Having things like the hangar or monuments that kids can see in their community really makes the history connect.
— History teacher Deanna Myers
The hangars, built in 1942, were a product of World War II industrialization that called for manned blimp facilities nationwide. These hangars were named “Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks” of the 20th century and eventually became known as the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. Years after World War II, the facility continued to train pilots for U.S. missions until its closure in 1991.
“I know every time I drive to Costco, I see the hangar, and waiting there at the red light makes me always wonder what happened there and look into it more,” junior Liane Mathew said.
Military service, however, was not the only role the hangars played in Southern Californian culture—its starring role in Hollywood movies “Pearl Harbor” and “Star Trek” brought the City of Tustin great fame. The blimp also gained media exposure through award-winning documentaries such as “The Tustin Hangars: Titans of History” and other written history records published by the City of Tustin and Orange County. To learn more about these films, visit the Tustin Legacy webpage.
Since the hangers’ permanent closure in 1999, the building has continued to serve as a World War II landmark, encouraging community members to reckon with local military history. Details regarding the cause of the fire and the state of the second hangar will be released as soon as they are available as the TPD continues its investigation while working to bring residents back to their homes.
Until then, the public must deal with the loss of a Southern California landmark that was memorable to many within the Northwood community.
“I think it’s more of the living history and having it be connected to the local community,” history teacher Deanna Myers said. “Having things like the hangar or monuments that kids can see in their community really makes the history connect.”
