TUSTIN, Calif.—All schools in the Tustin Unified School District were closed Nov. 9 due to health concerns stemming from smoke and ash emanating from the smoldering remnants of a fire that destroyed a historic World War II-era blimp hangar at the former Tustin Air Base.
The fire erupted around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at the massive hangar at Valencia Avenue and Armstrong Road. Due to the size of the structure and the difficulty of safely reaching the flames, Orange County Fire Authority crews opted to pull back and allow the wooden building to burn, essentially allowing the fire to consume the structure.