Fire destroys second world war-era blimp hangar in California

A giant second world war-era wooden hangar that was built to house military blimps based in southern California was destroyed on Tuesday in a raging fire that authorities expect could continue burning for days.

Firefighters responded to the blaze just before 1am, the Orange county fire authority said, and found the hangar “fully engulfed” with flames tearing through the roof. The ferocity of the fire brought more than 70 firefighters to the scene and prompted authorities to make the unusual decision of deploying helicopters typically used to fight wildfires in an effort to slow the blaze.

Crews were unable to stop it from within the hangar due to the “dynamic nature” of the fire and the collapse risk, fire chief Brian Fennessy said at a news conference on Tuesday morning. Officials determined the only way to fight the fire was to allow the landmark to collapse.

“It’s a sad day for the city of Tustin and all of Orange county,” Fennessy said.

Fennessy said no injuries were reported. The blaze could continue burning for hours, or even days, he said.

The historic hangar was one of two built in 1942 for the US navy in the city of Tustin, about 35 miles south-east of Los Angeles. At the time, the navy used lighter-than-air ships for patrol and antisubmarine defense.

According to the city, the hangars are 17 stories high, more than 1,000ft long and 300ft wide, putting them among the largest wooden structures ever built. The burning structure was known as the north hangar.

The navy installation became a US Marine Corps air station in the 1950s and closed in 1999. Fennessy said his agency was in contact with the navy, which still owns the property.

Hollywood productions have used the hangars for TV shows and movies, and they’ve also appeared in commercials. In 1993, the site was listed by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the historic civil engineering landmarks of the 20th century.

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