LOCATION: Warner Avenue / Legacy Road, Tustin: Former Marine Corps Air Station
ALL UPDATED INCIDENT INFORMATION IN BLUE:
WIND EVENT: The National Weather Service is forecasting high winds for the Tustin area to continue through Tuesday. Tonight, winds are expected to be at 18 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 36 mph. Beginning Tuesday morning, winds are expected to decrease to 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 24 mph in the afternoon. Air monitoring and sampling stations have been placed at thirty-three locations around the hangar site and throughout the surrounding communities. These stations constantly monitor the air for pollutants. If any abnormal readings are detected, that information is sent in real-time to the Incident Management Team Environmental Group. Water trucks are on constant patrol around the hangar and grounds performing dust abatement.
Due to the high winds, out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the workers in the field, all detection and mitigation operations were paused for today. Normal operations should continue Tuesday morning. Despite the high winds, there has been no visible smoke or debris being carried away from the site.
While the wind event continues, the OC Healthcare Agency (HCA) recommends that community members follow the same air safety guidelines as previously released.
To reduce your exposure at home (indoors):
- Keep windows and doors closed.
- Remove shoes before entering the home.
- Turn on indoor air purifiers.
- Do NOT run your air conditioning units, HVAC systems, swamp coolers, and/or whole house fans off to minimize drawing outside air inside your residence.
- If you have a pet, minimize outdoor activity.
- To further reduce any exposure during the winds, close your fireplace damper and ventilation fans.
To reduce your exposure outdoors:
- Avoid touching debris.
- If your skin, eyes, or mouth inadvertently encounter debris, wash thoroughly as soon as you can.
- Avoid activities that will displace debris related to the fire. (Avoid sweeping, landscaping, leaf blowing, mowing, gardening, etc.)
- Avoid outdoor activities, minimize contact with your yard furniture and play equipment.
- Avoid temporarily closed areas (parks, schools).
- If you go outside in the immediate area, keep it brief. The use of a disposable P-100 or N-95 mask can offer some protection.
- Seek medical attention if you have any medical concerns.
AIR MONITORING INFORMATION: Air monitoring and sampling locations have been set up surrounding the North Hangar Fire incident to provide the Incident Management Team real-time information on Particulate Matter (PM) in the air. While the units are in place, a graph showing the average reading for the last 24 hours has been provided for the public’s reference. This graph can be accessed from the Hangar Incident website located at https://tustinca.org. Any questions regarding these numbers should be directed to the Tustin Incident call center at 714-426-2444. The Incident Management Team Environmental Group is monitoring the air quality around the incident for any ratings above 154 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3), which may cause individuals in sensitive groups to experience adverse health effects. This is a moderate threshold that is less likely to affect the general public. "Particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets that exists in the environment including pollen, dust, and soil. For more information about air quality and monitoring, visit the AirNow website at www.airnow.gov.
DECONSTRUCTION OF THE HANGAR: Work continues to extinguish all remaining hotspots of the hangar fire and the west-facing wall has been deconstructed. Part of this effort involved the use of a drone with infrared (IR) capability to identify hidden pockets of heat in the debris piles, and guide crews to saturate those locations. Currently there is no visible fire or smoke from the hangar site. At the present time, no action will be taken on the hangar doors or concrete pillars, which will be addressed at a later date. A plan is being developed to stabilize the doors in place for the safety of our workers and the public. The following bullet points outline the process and steps being taken.
- Utilize heavy equipment excavators to remove debris to clear roadways to allow for water trucks to access all areas of the hanger.
- Excavators will be used to create access to the heavy debris and deep seeded smoldering fires beneath.
- The excavator will remove all remaining hanging debris along both walls to allow safe access the structure.
- Water trucks equipped with nozzles and hoses will be used for fire suppression and dust abatement control throughout the process.
- Water trucks will be staged on the far side of the hangar with continuous water saturation toward the interior debris to further prevent further dust dispersion.
N95 Mask Availability: In response to requests from community members, the City of Tustin has procured a limited number of N95 masks. These masks will be available free to community members at the following locations and hours of operation. These locations will be closed Thanksgiving Day through the weekend. They will reopen Monday, November 27.
Columbus Tustin Recreation Center Tustin Area Senior Center
17522 Beneta Way, Tustin CA 92780 200 South C Street, Tustin, CA 92780
Cross Streets: Prospect Ave & Beneta Way Cross Streets: Main Street & East 2nd Street
Monday – Wednesday : 09:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday – Wednesday : 08:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: Closed Thanksgiving Thursday: Closed Thanksgiving
BULK DEBRIS CLEANUP MAP: A public information map is available that depicts bulk debris collection areas near the incident site and will be updated regularly. This enables community members to follow the crew’s progress in clearing the streets and right of way areas around the hangar site.
CALL CENTER AND WEBSITE: The City of Tustin’s website contains the most up-to-date information regarding the Hangar Incident. We encourage the community to visit the website https://www.tustinca.org before using the call center as a lot of the questions can be answered on the website. If more information is needed, the community may call 714-426-2444, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.
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.
https://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:
https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/tustin-hangar-fire/school-status
Future updates from this incident will be released daily that will include updated information based on new intel from the incident.
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