The massive doors at Tustin’s historic blimp hangar, which were damaged in last month’s fire, will start to come down Thursday.
The 120-foot metal and wood doors need to be taken down carefully to mitigate the risk of spreading asbestos and other hazardous materials. The removal process is expected to take about two weeks.
Tustin officials say they’ll need more help from the federal government and the U.S. Navy, which owns the hangars, to complete the rest of the cleanup. The total cost is estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, and the city already burned through its cash reserves for asbestos cleanup (thanks, Gorilla-Snot) and debris removal.
Mayor Austin Lumbard said the Navy offered $1 million in assistance, which he called “grossly insufficient.” He told residents he shares their concerns about the ongoing questions surrounding the cleanup effort.
“I feel the frustration about the lack of communication,,” Lumbard said. “You can believe me or not, but we are providing you the information that we are getting from the agencies that are responsible for these things, and we will not stop until we get the resources and the data and the answers that you all and that we all as a community deserve.”
Tustin declared a local emergency in response to the fire on Nov. 10, and the county followed up with its own on Nov. 13. The Navy says more money should be arriving soon, and that they’ve been trying to help since the day of the fire.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok