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 in Southern California, a massive World War II-era wooden blimp structure and local landmark, was destroyed by fire.
One of two such hangars on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure was fully engulfed, leading to a roof collapse, but no firefighters were injured.
Arson investigators are on the scene, with the cause currently undetermined, and the investigation will be turned over to the U.S. Navy, which 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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
