Firefighters battling blaze on massive north hangar at Tustin Air Base

More than 70 Orange County firefighters were battling a stubborn fire at one of two 17-story-high hangars at the former Tustin Air Base early Tuesday morning, Nov. 7, authorities said.

Fire crews were called to the north hangar in Tustin just before 12:55 a.m. and began attacking the blaze with a defensive strategy from outside the building, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen said.

“The biggest fear is collapse and getting our firefighters injured,” Nguyen said.

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Flames were tearing through the roof of the massive structure. There appears to have been a partial roof collapse.

In fact, just before 6:30 a.m., firefighters said they planned to allow the hangar to collapse so that ground crews “can move in closer, and aggressively work to extinguish the fire.”

Due to the dynamic nature of the fire, and the imminent danger of collapse, we have determined the most operationally sound method is to allow the structure to collapse, at which point ground crews can move in closer, and aggressively work to extinguish the fire. pic.twitter.com/SmBl2UahMB

— OCFA PIO (@OCFireAuthority) November 7, 2023

Firefighters were getting assistance from a helicopter, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water, Nguyen said.

“It’s not a regular tactic to use a helicopter for a structure fire, however, this is not a regular fire either,” he said.

No injuries were reported and firefighters did not believe anyone to be inside the building when the fire broke out, Nguyen said.

Arson investigators are on the scene.

The fire is in one of two hangars that once housed blimps used in World War II and later provided cover for military helicopters.

The historic hangars have been featured in television and films, including  ”JAG, ” ”The X Files,” ”Austin Powers,”  ”Pearl Harbor ” and ”Star Trek.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

City News Service contributed to this report.