On Nov. 7, the North Hangar in Tustin, Calif caught on fire, marking a tragic day in O.C. history. It is not known how the historical building caught aflame, however, locals were interviewed and asked about their perspectives over this disastrous incident.

“I was super shocked and I was honestly a little bit sad because it was such a historical memory and it’s sad to see it burn down,” Zoey Vu, a student of Woodbridge High said.

Multiple roof and gutters had been clogged with ash and debris. Locals felt a sense of anger, disappointment, and melancholy all at the same time. Some blamed the firefighters, some blamed
the construction of it and most believe that this situation could’ve been easily avoided with the right materials and precautions.

“When I first found out about the accident, I was initially in shock, since I had never been that close to a fire this big. I also found myself scared for my health and safety, along with my family’s and friend’s,” Alia Hsu, a student of Woodbridge High said.

Much stress was put onto citizens, firefighters and city leaders. OFCA didn’t address why they didn’t immediately warn nearby neighbors that they were going to let the hangar to burn, which allowed the fallout of toxic materials in homes of nearby residents. Eventually, it became known that because it was such a big wooden building with no sprinklers and no ability to get water on the flames, it was almost impossible to put it out without allowing it to burn first. Thus, simultaneously triggering a toxic fallout of ashes and debris, spreading it to nearby houses.

“I have a coworker who is a sales director at my healthcare community. She has two children attending the elementary school across the street from the hangar. I see the children that have to be homeschooled at my coworkers office because of the fires,” said Tracee Tsai, a healthcare official.

Even the education of the local children has been affected from the event, which really puts it into a different perspective, proving how much of an impact it really had on the citizens. It also shows how anything can happen at any time and we have to be prepared just in case such a devastating event like this happens again.