Residents of Tustin were urged again Saturday to stay inside their homes after the city announced a flareup at the hangar where, earlier this week, a blaze spewed asbestos into the atmosphere.
On Tuesday, a World War II-era hangar went up in flames at a Tustin Marine Corps air station, decreasing the quality of the air in the surrounding area and making for hazardous conditions. The South Coast Air Quality Management District said tests of debris and ash from the blaze showed the presence of asbestos.
As a result of the flareup and ongoing hazardous conditions, the city urged residents to keep their doors and windows shut as a precaution. Details on what prompted the flareup were not immediately available.
The blaze began around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at a hangar at Armstrong Road and Valencia Avenue. Due to the size of the structure and the difficulty of safely reaching the flames, Orange County Fire Authority crews opted to pull back and allow the wooden building to burn, essentially consuming the structure.
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Orange County declared on Friday a local emergency in response to the fire. The emergency proclamation will make it easier to deal with the health and environmental fallout from the fire.
Due to the incident, several community parks and schools in the Tustin Unified School District (TUSD) were closed Thursday. The school district released details on a safety plan for families to be aware of.
Tustin Unified safety
U.S. & World
The Tustin Unified School District announced Monday as a "non-student" day for all of its campuses, meaning they will all be closed.
In the meantime, the school district is working with Envirocheck, a certified asbestos consulting firm. The district said its "expertise in testing and remediation of environmental concerns will guide our next steps for reopening our campuses."
While the firm works on inspecting and evaluating each TUSD campus, the district categorized each school into green, yellow and red categories according to their proximity to the burn site. As of Saturday, their standings are as follows:
Green schools (farthest distance from the burn site):
- Arroyo Elementary School
- Foothill High School
- Hewes Middle School
- Red Hill Elementary School
- Loma Vista Elementary School
- Orchard Hills School
- Pioneer Middle School
- Hicks Canyon Elementary School
- Myford Elementary School
- Guin Foss Elementary School
- Benson Elementary School
- Ladera Elementary School
- Peters Canyon Elementary School
- Tustin Memorial Academy
- Columbus Tustin Middle School
Yellow schools (closer proximity to burnsite):
- Nelson Elementary School
- Tustin Ranch Elementary School
- Utt Middle School
- Tustin High School
- Hillview High School
- Adult Transition Program
- Sycamore Magnet Academy
- Beswick Elementary School
- Beckman High School
- Tustin Connect High School
- Estock Elementary School
- Tustin Connect Elementary School
- Heideman Elementary School
Red schools (immediate proximity to burn site):
- Legacy Magnet Academy
- Heritage Elementary School
Safety tips
Orange County Health officials urged people in the area to limit their exposure to the smoke and ash. Health officials listed several measures the public can take to stay safe:
- Avoid touching fire debris/ash or other materials unless properly
trained to do so - Wear protective equipment (mask/gloves) if in an area where there
is high risk of encountering asbestos - Remove shoes before entering a residence
- Keep windows closed on windy days
- Spray patios with water instead of sweeping them
- Avoid using leaf blowers
- Wash off ash from vehicles, outdoor toys, outdoor furniture and pets
For more information regarding this incident, the public can click here or call 714-628-7085.
