The Brief

Massive metal and wooden doors are about all that's left of the 17-story-high, World War II-era blimp hangar that burned to the ground in Tustin over the past month. Lowering of the doors will begin on Thursday and is expected to take at least two weeks, according to city officials.

Cleanup crews have been getting the cranes and other heavy equipment needed to remove the doors gently. That's in large part because the building is covered in asbestos, lead, and potentially other toxins that they're trying to prevent from spreading further into the surrounding community.

"These doors will be lowered, again, slowly and controlled by not one, but two cranes on site in order to make sure that safety is paramount," said Colin Cummings, operations section chief with Innovative Emergency Management, the company hired by the city to handle the work.

Speaking on a public webinar Wednesday, Cummings said crews would also clean up the ground around where the doors will come down to make sure it's clear of potentially toxic debris.

"Noise will be mitigated, safety will be paramount, and air monitoring will continue," Cummings said.

A separate company that's been working on the cleanup, ATI Restoration, will also begin work to lower structures that sit atop the huge concrete pillars framing the doors, Cummings said.

The doors will not be removed from the property, which is owned by the U.S. Navy. Navy spokesperson Chris Dunne told LAist earlier this week that the Navy was "actively working to procure a separate contract to conduct the remaining required deconstruction and to remove debris from the hangar footprint itself."

Asbestos and lead

There has yet to be a full accounting of the damage caused by the fire that burned for more than three weeks, closing schools, forcing residents to stay inside and, in some cases, to temporarily move out of the area.

Debris and ash from the fire has tested positive for asbestos, and air quality monitoring from the early days of the fire found lead and arsenic inside the smoke plume.

A 2017 city-commissioned investigation into potential reuse of the other, nearly identical hangar on the old military base noted lead paint covering many parts of the building and extensive use of cement asbestos panels in the construction.

More than 600 disaster remediation workers have been dispatched to clean up fire debris tainted with asbestos on the former military base and in surrounding neighborhoods.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Tustin city spokesperson Stephanie Najera said Wednesday that they had received around 2,500 requests from residents to have debris from the fire tested for asbestos and removed from their yards. Those requests came through the city's hotline or online reporting portal set up after the fire broke out. Cummings said more than 600 disaster remediation workers are helping to clean up the fire debris in surrounding neighborhoods.

Scott Wiedensohler, local division chief at the Orange County Fire Authority, said during the webinar that work was more than 60% complete as of late last week.

Still, requests from residents to test and remove fire debris keep coming in — Najera said Wednesday the city had received 37 new calls in the last 24 hours.

Fear and frustration mount among residents and city officials

At a city council meeting this week, residents and city council members expressed frustration at what they said was a lack of help for the cleanup from local, state and federal officials, and guidance from public health officials.

Susan Keefe, a resident of Tustin’s Columbus Square neighborhood, which sits right across the street from the burnt out hangar, told the council that neighbors "have been asking for a detailed testing plan for weeks.

"Not just the air quality, because as my neighbors have pointed out, it's not just about the air quality. It's about soil, it's about wipes on surfaces," she said.

Keefe said she wanted the Navy to immediately start a fund so that people can get the inside of their homes tested — the city contracted remediation companies only handle yards and public right-of-ways.

City council members, including Mayor Austin Lumbard, said they shared their constituents' frustrations.

"We are your neighbors, we have kids in those schools," Lumbard said. "We are not the health professionals of the city, but we are your advocates, and we will be working to get answers from the county and other environmental agencies on simple questions: Can I walk my dog? Can I open my doors? Can I hose down my driveway? Those things deserve responses because I know it's impacting your everyday life."

Councilmember Ryan Gallagher said the city had already committed $30 million dollars to the cleanup effort, money that it doesn't have to spare. That's equivalent to more than one-third the city's anticipated general fund revenue for the current fiscal year.

"We cleared the coffers. We are down to our minimum amount in our reserves," Gallagher said.

He said the work needed to fully clean and remediate the city after the fire couldn't be done without funding from the state and the Navy.

Orange County declared an emergency soon after the hangar fire broke out, the first step toward receiving assistance from the state. But the state has yet to respond to the declaration.

The Tustin City Council unanimously passed a resolution this week to increase pressure on state and federal officials for help.

Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, told LAist in an email that staff from the office had been providing support and technical assistance to first responders since the fire broke out.

As for a disaster declaration, he wrote: "State law dictates that local governments must demonstrate that a disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the county or city and that state aid is necessary."

Ferguson said state officials are working with local officials on damage assessments "to determine if that criteria has been met."

Students within the Los Angeles Unified School District showed improvements on state reading, math and science standardized tests for a third consecutive year, district authorities announced Tuesday.

Superintendent Andrés Chait revealed the preliminary results at the annual opening-of-schools address at East L.A.’s Garfield High School— his first as the district’s leader since the board appointed him to the job in June.

“ These are not just numbers on a page,” Chait said to an audience that included about 1,000 principals, administrators and district supporters. “They are the result of your passion, your persistence, your belief in what students can achieve. These are collective accomplishments.

"They reflect the dedication, skill, and commitment of our entire community,” he said.

Jai Gant-Leau, principal of Eagle Tree Continuation High School, said the “back-to-basics” focus of Chait’s speech was a welcome departure from the tone of recent opening addresses.

“We will continue to rise for the outcomes and expectations for the success of our students. That's the message I got,” Gant-Leau said. “Very different than the others where it was a lot of… bells and whistles.”

Why it matters

Student achievement, as measured by test scores, plummeted during the pandemic. Los Angeles Unified’s growth in 2025 outpaced the state, as test scores exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

This year the percentage of students in all grades who met or exceeded the standard are 39.7% for math, 48.3% for English and 32.1% for science. It’s unclear how this compares to students statewide because those results have yet to be released.

Challenges ahead

Chait also acknowledged the challenges posed by declining enrollment, community fears of immigration enforcement actions and proposed budget cuts.

 “The decisions will be hard, but we cannot lose sight of what defines us,” Chait said. “We are the system that lifts students to opportunity, turns potential into achievement, creates spaces of belonging, healing, growth.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

We hope you’ve gotten used to the hot weather, because it’s going to be here for a while.

The National Weather Service has issued yet another heat advisory for much of Southern California, less than a week after other high-temperature warnings were lifted.

This week’s advisory will be in place from 10 a.m. Wednesday through Monday. Forecasters expect temperatures to climb steadily over the course of Wednesday and Thursday.

The San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and other inland areas in L.A., as well as Riverside and San Bernardino counties, will likely see highs ranging from the mid-90s to about 105 degrees. Areas closer to the coast, including downtown Los Angeles and much of Orange County, will hit the 90s. Beaches will hover mostly in the upper 70s.

Humidity will also add to the discomfort. Even though it’s decreasing slightly, it makes cooling down harder, especially at night.

People who work outdoors or do not have air conditioning are especially at risk from the heat and humidity, along with people over 65, young children and other sensitive populations.

Fire risk

Forecasters are warning that conditions are ripe for fires, driven by a combination of wind and dry vegetation.

Southern California hasn’t seen much rain recently, despite the humidity, leaving plants with little moisture and turning them into the perfect fuel.

“Even though the air feels kind of moist, we're in the time of season where it doesn't matter. The fuels are dry and they're ready to go,” said NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittell.

Kittel said people should take extra care with anything that could create a spark, and residents in fire-prone areas should remain aware of their surroundings in case a fire starts.

The fire risk is likely to be concentrated in a few specific areas that will experience higher winds than others, including parts of the 5 Freeway corridor in northern L.A. County, especially around the Grapevine, and in southern Santa Barbara County.

For most of the region, though, winds should stay fairly mild.

Dangerous beach conditions

Southern Californians also have to contend with some ocean-specific risks this week.

Forecasters expect dangerously large waves and strong rip currents to hit the coastline at a time when the heat may drive more people to the beach. The conditions are expected to persist through the weekend.

If you decide to head to the beach, it’s a good idea to ask a lifeguard for advice on the conditions before entering the water. It’s also recommended to swim only near occupied lifeguard stands, stay off of rock jetties and avoid turning your back to the waves.

South-facing stretches of coastline will bear the brunt of the swell, which is being driven by two tropical storms churning hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean.

“Those two systems generated the winds and the waves locally that are pushing towards us, and so that's creating elevated surf and some stronger currents than normal,” Kittel said.

The swell is not expected to cause significant coastal flooding as high tides remain relatively low.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Free transportation to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area swim beach will be available this week as East LA families continue to seek relief from another heat wave and the aftermath of the Lineage warehouse fire.

Los Angeles County is offering complimentary transportation Wednesday through Saturday at select Eastside parks so residents can enjoy a day at the lake at no cost.

More than a month after the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire, many residents continue to report persistent odors from rotting food and cleanup efforts. Because of the ongoing air quality concerns and community complaints, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation has canceled its local aquatic programming.

To ensure families still have access to summer recreational activities, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis directed resources toward providing the “beach bus” program to Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area Swim Beach in Irwindale.

Read below for more information on the free shuttle services, schedules and more. 

Pickup locations

Belvedere Aquatic Center

5035 1st St. East Los Angeles, CA 90022

Obregon Park Pool

4021 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90063

Salazar Park Pool 

3864 Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023

City Terrace Park Pool

1126 N. Hazard Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90063

Shuttle dates and times 

• Wednesday, July 22
• Thursday, July 23
• Friday, July 24
• Saturday, July 25

Morning trip: 

• Check in at 8:30 a.m. 
• The bus departs East LA at 9 a.m. 
• The bus leaves Santa Fe Dam to go back to East LA at 12 p.m.

Afternoon trip: 

• Check in at 12:30 p.m. 
• The bus departs East LA at 1 p.m. 
• The bus leaves Santa Fe Dam to go back to East LA at 4 p.m. 

What to know

No registration or proof of address is required, but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own food and drinks. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.