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HomeMy WebLinkAbout111323-Tustin-Hangar-Incident-Daily-UpdateTUSTIN HANGAR INCIDENT Daily Incident Update Date: 11/13/2023 Information Hotline: 714-426-2444 Hours: 7:00am — 7:00pm Email: hangarincidentktustinca.org Incident Website: https://tustinca.org LOCATION: Warner Avenue / Legacy Road, Tustin: Start Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 0100 Former Marine Corps Air Station BACKGROUND: On the morning of November 7th, the Orange County Fire Authority responded to a report of a well - established fire inside one of the former Marine Corps Air Station hangars located near the intersection of Warner Avenue and Legacy Road. The attack on the fire was hampered by the height of the hangar (17 stories tall). The OCFA attempted helicopter water drops as well. Unfortunately, the drops could not access void spaces & seat of the fire. This makes an aerial fire attack an unviable option. As the fire has slowly eaten away at the hanger, the entire structure has also become extremely unstable, risking the safety of our firefighters. Therefore, a decision was made to place fire resources in a defensive posture and allow the fire to burn, while preventing fire spread to other buildings or property on the incident site. Since the hangar is such a large structure, this fire continues to smolder, and on occasion, flare up. This is expected fire behavior, and there is no threat of spread to surrounding structures. In other words, what the Fire Chief stated during the first press conference at this incident, is that the safest and most operationally sound method of extinguishing this fire is to let it burn itself out. CURRENT SITUATION: The City of Tustin has contracted with an asbestos detection company to identify areas of contamination, and hazard removal technicians began conducting cleanup of the roads and sidewalks in the immediate area neighborhoods. A flare up in fire activity has unfortunately re -introduced more debris in some neighborhoods. Technicians will be returning to these areas to remediate the area. Plans are continually being made as to the schedule and areas to be treated. These cleanup operations may take several weeks to complete. The City of Tustin, in partnership with the U.S. Navy, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Orange County Health Care Agency, and Orange County Emergency Management, is working to mitigate this situation as quickly as possible. Residents may notice additional construction activity around the hangar. This is in preparation for the eventual controlled and systematic teardown of the hangar structure. The exact date of the teardown has not been determined yet. We will inform you when we have solidified a date and time that this will occur. ASBESTOS PRECAUTIONS: If you are being impacted by windblown smoke, debris, dust or ash, the OC Health Care Agency suggests these precautions: Try to limit your exposure by remaining indoors, with windows and doors closed or seek alternative shelter to reduce exposure to smoke and ash. Limit or avoid activities that will displace ash into the air. Avoid direct contact with ash. If you get ash on your skin, in your eyes, or in your mouth, wash it off as soon as you can. People with heart or lung disease, including asthma, older adults, children, and pregnant women should use special caution around ash or debris. Children should not be nearby while you clean up ash. Do not allow children to play in ash. Clean ash off all children's toys before use. Clean ash off pets and other animals. Avoid vigorous activity if you are closer than one mile from the hangar. TUSTIN HANGAR INCIDENT Daily Incident Update Date: 11/13/2023 Run your air conditioner or air purifier. If possible do NOT use swamp coolers or whole house fans that bring in outside air. If you are going to be outside, a properly fitted P 100 respirator may provide some protection. Keep your airways (nose and mouth) moist by drinking extra amounts of water. People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children should remain indoors. Seek medical attention if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue. Minimize exposure to other sources of indoor air pollution- avoid using anything that burns, such as wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves — including candles or incense. PARK CLOSURES: Some parks have reopened after debris testing, while others are still closed. Please follow the following link for up-to-date park closure information. htt2s://www.tustinca.org/715/Parks-Information SCHOOL CLOSURES: Schools continue to be tested for debris. Please use the following link for up-to-date information on school closure status: htt2s://www.tustin.kl2.ca.us/tustin-hangar-fire/school-status CALL CENTER: The City of Tustin has opened a call center for residents to contact with questions about the incident. The number is listed at the top of the update. Future updates from this incident will be released daily that will include updated information based on new Intel from the incident.