I was recently in Orange County, CA and decided to ride by the old military base I grew up on, USMC Tustin. One of the biggest things (literally and figuratively) were the twin hangars, some of the biggest wooden structures in the world. I managed to snap a few pictures and get a video while I was there. In retrospect, it was somewhat shocking that I stopped by on October 28 because just a little over a week later, the hanger caught fire and was destroyed on November 7, 2023.
According to the Orange County Fire Authority, a three-alarm fire tore through the 17-story building at Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. Firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames using a helicopter and from the ground. Firefighting operations were hampered by the property’s lack of water, forcing personnel to use hydrants from neighboring streets. Fire officials decided to allow the historic hangar at the former air base in Orange County, California, to fall after a major fire nearly destroyed it early on Tuesday morning.