Massive World War II-era blimp hangar burns in Southern California

TUSTIN, Calif. (AP) — Fire raged Tuesday in a massive World War II-era wooden hangar that was built to house military blimps based in Southern California.

The Orange County Fire Authority said in a social media post that allowing the structure to collapse was the only way to fight 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,” the agency said.

The historic hangar was one of two built in 1942 for the U.S. Navy in the city of Tustin, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.

According to the city, the hangars are 17 stories high, more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) long and 300 feet (91.4 meters) wide. The burning structure was known as the north hangar.

The Navy installation became a Marine Corps air station in the 1950s and closed in 1999.

Hollywood productions have used the hangars for TV shows and movies, and they’ve also appeared in commercials.

The north hangar had been shuttered since it sustained roof damage during an October 2013 windstorm, according to the city.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.