A fire was consuming a wooden blimp hangar on Tuesday in Tustin, Calif., that played a pivotal role during World War II, the authorities said, causing the landmark to crumble in flames throughout the day.
Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority said at a news conference on Tuesday morning that more than 70 firefighters had responded at about 1 a.m. to try to contain the fire in one of two colossal hangars at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.
After their initial efforts failed to extinguish the fire in the north hangar, Chief Fennessy said, the fire authority deployed three helicopters to douse the large domed building from above, a method more typically used to fight large-scale wildfires.
But that strategy also failed, prompting officials to settle on allowing the structure to burn rather than put more firefighters at risk, Chief Fennessy said.
Persons:
Brian Fennessy, Fennessy
Organizations:
Orange County Fire Authority, Marine Corps Air Station Tustin
Locations:
Tustin, Calif, Orange County