Firefighters were called to the former Tustin Air Base at around 12:55 a.m. PST on November 7. [Credit: OCFA]
Key Takeaways:
The historic north hangar at the former Tustin Air Base, a massive World War II-era wooden blimp structure and Southern California landmark, was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning.
One of the world's largest free-standing wooden structures and on the National Register of Historic Places, the hangar was fully engulfed, leading to a roof collapse, though no firefighters were injured.
Over 70 firefighters responded, and arson investigators are currently on the scene, with the investigation expected to be turned over to the U.S. Navy, who still owns the property.
A piece of aviation history and a Southern California landmark has gone up in smoke.
According to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), crews were called to the former Tustin Air Base around 12:55 a.m. PST on Tuesday. When crews arrived, they found the north hangar, one of two megastructures built to house blimps during World War II, was fully engulfed.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
