Lucy Copp
is a producer for AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, delivering conversations that offer an array of voices and topics.
Published November 15, 2023 2:15 PM
A historic view of the hangar in the former Tustin base.
(
City of Tustin
)
Topline:
Last week, one of the two Tustin Hangars, a relic of military history in Orange County, went up in flames. A few days after the fire, Orange County declared a state of emergency after smoke and debris from the Tustin hangar fire tested positive for asbestos and other toxins. School continue to be closed in the area.
Why it matters: The fire broke out at Tustin’s Marine Corps Air Station early Tuesday morning, irreparably damaging one of two historic blimp hangars there. The hangars were built in 1942 to hold Lighter-Than-Air aircrafts, or LTAs, that patrolled the U.S. coastline during World War II.
The backstory: At 17 stories high, more than 1,000 feet long, and 300 feet wide, the hangars were two of the largest wooden structures in the world when they were erected in 1942. They were built in a swift six months, as the country was eager to build up its coastal defense system. The purpose of the hangars was to store blimps that patrolled the coast to keep an eye out for Japanese aircrafts and submarines. "They are a testament to engineering," Jepsen said.
What's next: What will be become of the North Hangar that burnt so badly? "These things were built in the 40s and some of the materials are cause for concern," said Jepsen, who said he would be surprised if the North Hangar was partially reconstructed. At the moment, the South Hangar is awaiting environmental remediation before it's handed over from the Navy to the city of Tustin. A lot of different forms of adaptive reuse have been discussed but there are no plans at the moment. Perhaps losing the first hangar will lead people to cherish the second hangar all the more.
Last week, a relic of military history in Orange County and an iconic structure to many local residents went up in flames.
"All of us who have lived in Orange County really in the past four generations...it's just been part of our landscape," historian and Orange County Historical Society President Chris Jepsen said of the World War II era wooden blimp hangar that caught fire early on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 7.
"You see those hangars and you know you're home," Jepsen said during an interview this week with LAist's AirTalk, which airs daily on 89.3 FM.
Jepsen says the hangars were built in 1942 to house blimps that patrolled the U.S. coastline during World War II.
"The idea was they could keep an eye out for Japanese aircraft, or to some degree submarines coming toward our coast. These hangars, each one could house six large blimps inside it — fully inflated."
As the building burned, nearby residents, veterans and others with sentimental ties to the former Tustin air base flocked to the fenceline to get a final glimpse of the beloved hangars.
(
Jae C. Hong
/
AP
)
At 17 stories high, more than 1,000 feet long, and 300 feet wide, the hangars were two of the largest wooden structures in the world when they were erected in 1942. They were built in a swift six months, as the country was eager to build up protection along its coasts. Jepsen says he's been inside the hangar that is now destroyed, and recalls being awe-struck at its scale.
"It's hard to wrap your brain around what you're seeing when you're in a place like that. It is so enormous."
You see those hangars and you know you're home.
— Chris Jepsen, President of the Orange County Historical Society
Retired Marine Colonel Brian Delahaut was stationed at Tustin between 1983 and 1995. He told LAist's AirTalk, he remembers being awe-struck the first time he checked into the training squadron at the hangar.
"It was just absolutely incredible...when I checked in in the early 80s, the base was actually called...Marine Corps Air Station Tustin Lighter-than-Air (LTA). We all knew the buildings had been built...for the use of blimps, but the Marine Corps repurposed them and made them into helicopter hangars, so I don't think we appreciate what they were initially built for."
They’ve been mostly vacant since the base was decommissioned in 1999, sometimes serving as a shooting location for films and commercials. The hangars have been featured in television shows and films such as The X Files, Austin Powers, Pearl Harbor, and Star Trek.
The historic blimp hangar, at right, seen as it burned on Nov. 7, 2023.
(
Jae C. Hong
/
Associated Press
)
Orange County icons
AirTalk and LAist listeners also shared their memories of the hangars.
Listener Jeaniqua in San Diego says she grew up on base housing while her father served in as a helicopter crew chief in the Marines, and even recalls a ballet group she was part of holding a recital inside the hangar.
"It's really sad. We grew up in the shadow of [the hangars] so I have very distinctive and clear memories of the office spaces in there, and even just walking in. The offices were along the side and in the center it was that wide open space, and I remember....just looking up and it seemed like it went up forever."
Listener Tee in Irvine remembers living in an Irvine apartment at Jamboree and Alton and being able to see the hangars from her bedroom window there, and recalls her niece participating in the video for Michael Jackson's song "Hold My Hand" that was shot at the hangars.
"It's just strange that one hangar is now gone. I actually went over...and took pictures. It's unbelievable how basically it looks as if everything has caved in, except for the concrete structures on the end. It's just really sad...it's strange not to have those there because it is a part of the community."
What will be become of the burned hangar?
Local officials have not yet announced plans for what will happen to what remains of the structure, but Jepsen says he'd be surprised if anything is saved or reconstructed, given the condition it's in and some of the environmental concerns about asbestos exposure.
"These things were built in the 40s and some of the materials are cause for concern," said Jepsen.
At the moment, the South Hangar is awaiting environmental remediation before it's handed over from the Navy to the city of Tustin. Jepsen says while a lot of different forms of adaptive reuse have been discussed, there are no concrete plans at the moment.
A closer look at the damaged hull left behind.
(
Courtesy André J. Ausseresses
)
Listen to the conversation
Listen
30:36
SoCal History: The Significance Of The Tustin Airfield Hangars
Jordan Rynning
holds local government accountable, covering city halls, law enforcement and other powerful institutions.
Published November 10, 2026 8:00 AM
Precincts won by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, left, are shown in blue. Mayor-elect Nithya Raman's wins are in yellow.
(
Jill Connelly/Etienne Laurent
/
Associated Press/Getty Images
)
Topline:
Nithya Raman turned the tide in the L.A. mayoral race by winning over large swathes of the city that voted for Karen Bass in 2022, according to an LAist analysis of election data.
Breaking down the vote: Raman had overwhelming support from Hollywood through downtown and across the East side. She also won majority support in areas like Van Nuys and North Hollywood that voted for Bass in the 2022 general and 2026 primary elections.Bass made her biggest gains in the Pacific Palisades, South Valley and San Pedro — drawing voters from areas that supported Rick Caruso in 2022 and Spencer Pratt in the 2026 primary.
Read on . . . for a more detailed view of how precincts voted.
Nithya Raman turned the tide in the L.A. mayoral race by winning over large swathes of the city that voted for Karen Bass in 2022, according to an LAist analysis of election data.
Bass was a favorite in many areas that voted for Rick Caruso when she faced him in 2022. She held onto a majority of voters across South L.A., but lost much of her previous support.
The switchup came after Bass — a veteran in progressive politics — took a relatively-conservative approach on issues like policing and high-density housing developments compared to Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
About the tallies so far
Election data in this analysis includes 793,692 votes recorded by the L.A. County Registrar of Voters in precinct-level data as of Nov. 9. More than 1 million votes were cast in the L.A. mayoral race across the city. This story will be updated as additional precinct-level data is made available by county election officials.
How to reach me
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is jrynning.56.
You can follow this link to reach me there or type my username in the search bar after starting a new chat.
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published November 10, 2026 5:00 AM
The chemical tank at the GKN Garden Grove aerospace facility.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
A claims support center to help victims evacuated in Garden Grove’s chemical tank scare opens Tuesday, Nov. 10. GKN Aerospace, the company behind the hazmat incident, said the center in Los Alamitos will help eligible residents file for reimbursement.
Background: GKN Aerospace opened its $100 million claims program last month for those affected by the Garden Grove hazmat scare that forced more than 50,000 nearby residents to evacuate their homes and businesses.
What we know: The independent Claims Administrator, Ernst & Young, will operate the center and is responsible for reviewing, processing and evaluating claims. Assistance will be available in English, Vietnamese, Spanish and Korean.
Who is eligible? People and households who lived within the mandatory evacuation zone are eligible for the claims program. Businesses can file a business interruption claim for losses of income. Residents who lived in the warning zone, not the mandatory evacuation zone, do not qualify.
Know before you go: The center is located at 4281 Katella Ave., Suite 100 in Los Alamitos. Doors are open Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m.
Keep up with LAist.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Nick Gerda
is an accountability reporter who has covered local government in Southern California for more than a decade.
Published November 9, 2026 6:33 PM
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority workers observe L.A. city sanitation workers removing an encampment in Venice Beach in June 2023.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
LAist
)
Topline: The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority told its employees Friday to stop work, shut down their computers and stay off agency systems while it looked into “a potential security issue affecting our systems,” its chief executive confirmed to LAist. That shutdown order was still in place Monday evening, according to a LAHSA official not authorized to speak on the record.
Unknowns: Gita O'Neill, the agency’s interim CEO, told LAist on Friday evening that the agency did not “yet have enough information to say definitively whether any sensitive or confidential personal information was accessed.” She has not answered questions about whether or not services for unhoused people are disrupted.
Sensitive data: LAHSA holds highly sensitive information collected from people experiencing homelessness in the region. The agency oversees the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS, which includes unhoused people’s names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and disabilities, as well as self-reported mental health and substance abuse history, income sources and domestic violence history.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority told its employees Friday to stop work, shut down their computers and stay off agency systems while it looked into “a potential security issue affecting our systems,” its chief executive confirmed to LAist.
That shutdown order was still in place Monday evening, according to a LAHSA official not authorized to speak on the record.
Gita O'Neill, the agency’s interim CEO, told LAist on Friday evening that the agency did not “yet have enough information to say definitively whether any sensitive or confidential personal information was accessed.”
She has not answered questions about whether or not services for unhoused people are disrupted.
Gita O’Neill, interim CEO of LAHSA, speaks ahead of the annual homeless count on Jan. 20, 2026.
(
Jordan Rynning
/
LAist
)
LAHSA holds highly sensitive information collected from people experiencing homelessness in the region. The agency oversees the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS, which includes unhoused people’s names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and disabilities, as well as self-reported mental health and substance abuse history, income sources and domestic violence history.
In a statement Monday, LAHSA said it had taken its internal computer systems offline “as a precaution” and “engaged outside cybersecurity specialists to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.” The statement, sent on O'Neill's behalf by outside public relations strategist Trevor Daley, continued to call it “a potential cybersecurity incident.”
The agency is “taking steps to maintain essential operations,” the statement added, saying LAHSA “remains open” while the investigation continues. It said the agency is working with its technical and legal teams.
What staff were told
Friday’s email to "Team LAHSA" carried the subject line "URGENT: Log Off and Shut Down for the Week." LAist obtained a copy, and O'Neill confirmed by text message that she had sent it.
“As a precaution while we look into a potential security issue affecting our systems, we're asking all staff to stop work and take their machines offline for the remainder of today and through the weekend,” the email said.
It told employees to “Log off and shut down your LAHSA computer” and not to log back in or connect to LAHSA systems, including email, “until you receive an all-clear from us.”
The email also told staff to report anything “unusual” before shutting down, such as “files renaming on their own, unexpected pop-ups or messages.”
What LAHSA leadership has said
In a texted response to LAist on Friday evening, O'Neill said she asked staff to take their computers offline “out of an abundance of caution” while the agency’s IT team assessed the situation.
“Our IT team is actively reviewing the situation now and working to understand exactly what occurred and whether any information was affected,” she wrote. “Protecting people’s personal and confidential information is a top priority in that review.”
Leaders of three LAHSA-funded service providers told LAist on Monday afternoon that they had not received any communications from LAHSA about the potential cybersecurity issue. All three use the HMIS system that holds unhoused people’s personal details.
Previous attacks against another LA housing agency
Another L.A. housing agency was previously hit by cyberattacks. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles — a separate agency known as HACLA — has said hackers got inside its network in 2022 and may have accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, financial accounts numbers and medical information.
Two years later, HACLA was breached again, according to an official notice, with hackers potentially accessing names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and phone numbers.
LAist reporter Aaron Schrank contributed reporting to this story.
Lindsey Horvath has announced she will run for county CEO in 2028.
(
YouTube screenshot
)
Topline:
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced Monday that she is running to be the county’s first elected chief executive. Horvath is the only candidate so far to enter the race, which is set for 2028.
Why it matters: The new executive post will take the place of the county’s appointed CEO and implement key priorities of the county Board of Supervisors.
Voters created the position in 2024 when they approved Measure G, which was proposed by supervisors Horvath and Janice Hahn.
Pushback: On Monday, Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement saying she believed it was “premature” to campaign for the new county executive position when it remained unclear whether “the office itself is constitutional.” Barger pointed to questions raised by former federal judge Stephen Larson about whether California’s Constitution allows an elected county executive to veto board decisions, control county contracts and take on powers state law currently gives the Board of Supervisors.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced Monday that she is running to be the county’s first elected chief executive. Horvath is the only candidate so far to enter the race, which is set for 2028.
The new executive post will take the place of the county’s appointed CEO and implement key priorities of the county Board of Supervisors. The executive will oversee the county budget, which is currently roughly $50 billion, and labor relations with more than 100,000 employees.
Horvath was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 and was re-elected in June to another four-year term. She represents the county’s 3rd District, which covers the San Fernando Valley and parts of the Westside and Central Los Angeles. She is a former mayor of West Hollywood.
The supervisor made her announcement Monday via social media and her campaign website. She called the race a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
The backstory
Voters created the position in 2024 when they approved Measure G, which was proposed by Supervisors Horvath and Janice Hahn.
Among other changes, the measure allowed the Board of Supervisors to expand from five to nine members by 2030 and established an independent Ethics Commission, which held its first meeting last month.
The pushback
On Monday, Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement saying she believed it was “premature” to campaign for the new county executive position when it remained unclear whether “the office itself is constitutional.”
Barger pointed to questions raised by former federal judge Stephen Larson about whether California’s Constitution allows an elected county executive to veto board decisions, control county contracts and take on powers state law currently gives the Board of Supervisors.
“Moving forward with an office that would fundamentally change how Los Angeles County is governed, without first resolving these questions, is putting the cart before the horse,” Barger said in her statement. “We need clarity.”
The primary election is scheduled for March 7, 2028.
