One year after the Tustin hangar fire, cleanup continues

A year ago today, an historic World War II blimp hangar caught fire in Tustin, setting off a public health emergency as toxic debris from the fire fell over surrounding neighborhoods. Life has mostly resumed to normal around the former military base where the hangar’s skeleton, and its surviving twin, sit. But cleanup of the toxic remains — which contained asbestos and lead — is ongoing.

What happened

The fire broke out in the early hours of Nov. 7, 2023. More than 100 firefighters and two water-dropping helicopters initially responded to the blaze. They found no working hydrant near the smoking hangar, according to documents obtained by LAist earlier this year.

Ultimately, firefighters decided the risk that the structure would collapse was too great, and they let the fire burn out. It took 24 days.

Why it mattered

The massive hangar — 17 stories high and covering an area larger than five football fields — contained a large amount of asbestos, a popular building material at the time now known to cause cancer and lung disease. Public health officials detected asbestos in fallout from the hangar fire at least three miles northeast of the hangar.

People reported fire debris as far as 10 miles from the hangar site, according to a map created by LAist using a city database obtained through a records request. In all, LAist identified 1,382 addresses where either a resident reported debris from the hangar fire or a city contractor inspected a property for fire debris.

The fire also majorly disrupted life for many nearby residents. Some temporarily moved out of the area to avoid exposure to potentially toxic air, or while their homes were being cleaned of fire debris. Nearby schools were closed for weeks and parents had to shuttle their kids to alternative school sites.

This map is based on data acquired through public records requested from the city of Tustin. An LAist analysis found that suspected ash or debris from the fire was reported by members of the public or city contractors at nearly 1,400 locations and up to 10 miles away.

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Maloy Moore

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LAist

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How do you clean that up?

Hazardous waste crews spent months combing neighborhoods, cleaning up the debris from sidewalks, patios and yards. Months after the fire burnt out, some neighbors were still reluctant to take walks outside. One neighbor interviewed by LAist moved to Texas because of her concern that asbestos debris is still lingering in the community.

Tustin residents living near the hangar site may again see cleanup crews in their neighborhood in the coming weeks. They'll mostly be checking for remaining debris that might be lodged in rain gutters, Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard told LAist. This final (hopefully) stage of community cleanup is required by environmental officials, Lumbard explained, and will be funded by an additional $15 million from the Navy.

The hangar status, one year later

The cause of the fire that torched the hangar is still under investigation, according to a spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority. They said the length of time to investigate was not unusual for such a complex fire.

The U.S. Navy is four months into an expected year-long cleanup effort at the hangar site. The toxic remains have to be packaged and sealed in a negative pressure tent and then transported offsite to a hazardous waste facility.

In August, workers finished deconstructing the massive hangar doors — the steel was recycled; the damaged wood, tainted with lead paint, was hauled off as hazardous waste, according to the Navy’s project website.

Air monitoring continues around the hangar site and in the surrounding community during the cleanup.

The city of Tustin reported in October that the hangar fire and aftermath had cost it $86.8 million as of late summer. The Navy has promised to reimburse the city up to $103.3 million for its emergency response to the fire, according to their latest agreement. That's intended to cover the upcoming community cleaning phase.