Tag: debris

Abandoned shops and missing customers: Fire-scarred businesses are still stuck in the aftermath

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The charred remains of the historic Pacific Palisades Business Block cast a shadow over a once-bustling shopping district along West Sunset Boulevard.

Empty lots littered with debris and ash line the street where houses and small businesses once stood. A year since the Palisades fire roared through the neighborhood, only a handful of businesses have reopened.

The Starbucks, Bank of America, and other businesses that used to operate in the century-old Business Block are gone. All that remains of the Spanish Colonial Revival building are some arches surrounding what used to be a busy retail space. The burned-out, rusty remnants of a walk-in vault squat in the center of the structure.

Nearby, the Shade Store, the Free-est clothing store, Skin Local spa, a Hastens mattress store, Sweet Laurel Bakery and the Hydration Room are among the many stores still shuttered. Local barbershop Gornik & Drucker doesn’t know if it can reopen.

“We have been going back and forth on what it would take to survive,” co-owner Leslie Gornik said. “If we open, we have to start over from scratch.”

Hundreds gathered around Business Block on the anniversary of the fire on Wednesday to witness a military-style white-glove ceremony to pay respects to the families who lost loved ones. Photos of those killed from the neighborhood were placed at the Palisades Village Green next door.

The Palisades fire burned for 24 days, destroying more than 6,800 structures, damaging countless others and forcing most of the neighborhood’s residents to move elsewhere. About 30 miles northeast, the Eaton fire burned more than 9,400 structures. Combined, the fires killed 31 people.

Remnants of the the Pacific Palisades Business Block, which was completed in 1924 and burned in the Palisades fire.

The few businesses that are back in Palisades serve as a beacon of hope for the community, but owners and managers say business is down and customers haven’t returned.

Ruby Nails & Spa, located near the Business Block, was closed for eight months before reopening in September. Now business is only half of what it was before the fires, owner Ruby Hong-Tran said.

“People come back to support but they live far away now,” she said. “All my clients, their houses burned.”

Ruby Hong-Tran, owner of Ruby Nails & Spa in Pacific Palisades, says her business is half of what it was since reopening.

It took months to clean all the smoke damage from her shop. The front is still being fixed to cover up burn damage.

The firestorms destroyed swaths of other neighborhoods, including Malibu, Topanga, Sierra Madre and Altadena, where businesses and homeowners also are struggling to build back.

Some are figuring out whether it is worth rebuilding. Some have given up.

The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation estimated last year that more than 1,800 small businesses were in the burn zones in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Altadena, impacting more than 11,000 jobs.

Businesses say they often have been on their own. The Federal Emergency Management Agency tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up debris at private residences, some public buildings and places of worship — but not commercial properties.

Business owners had to clean up the charred debris and toxic waste on their properties. Many had to navigate complicated insurance claims and apply for emergency loans to stay afloat.

Rosie Maravilla, general manager of Anawalt’s Palisades Hardware, said damage to her store was limited, and insurance covered the cleaning, so she was able to open quickly. The store reopened just one month after the fire.

Rosie Maravilla, general manager of Anawalt Palisades Hardware, in front of of the store in Pacific Palisades.

Still, sales are 35% lower than what they used to be.

“In the early days, it was bad. We weren’t making anything,” Maravilla said. “We’re lucky the company kept us employed.”

The customer base has changed. Instead of homeowners working on personal projects, the store is serving contractors working on rebuilding in the area.

An archival image of the area in Pacific Palisades hangs over the aisles in Anawalt Palisades Hardware, where business is down despite a customer base of contractors who are rebuilding.

Across the street from the Business Block, the Palisades Village mall was spared the flames and looks pristine, but is still closed. Shop windows are covered with tarps. Low metal gates block entry to the high-end outlets. The mall is still replacing its drywall to eliminate airborne contaminants that the fire could have spread.

All of its posh shops still are shut: Erewhon, Lululemon, Bay Theater, Blue Ribbon Sushi, athletic apparel store Alo, Buck Mason men’s and Veronica Beard women’s boutiques.

Mall owner and developer Rick Caruso said he is spending $60 million to reopen in August.

The need to bring back businesses impacted by the fires is urgent, Caruso said, and not just to support returning residents.

“It’s critical to bring jobs back and also for the city to start creating some tax revenue to support city services,” he said. ”Leaders need to do more to speed up the rebuilding process, such as speeding up the approval of building permits and stationing building inspectors closer to burn areas.”

Pedestrians walk past the Erewhon market in Palisades Village that plans to reopen this year.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Wednesday, on the anniversary of the fire, Caruso sent three light beams into the sky over the mall, which met in one stream to honor the impacted communities of Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Malibu.

The nighttime display will continue through Jan. 31.

Business Block’s history dates to 1924, when it served as a home for the community’s first ventures. In the 1980s, plans to tear it down and build a mall sparked a local uprising to save the historic symbol of the neighborhood’s vibrancy. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1984.

Tiana Noble, a Starbucks spokesperson, said the landlord terminated the company’s lease when the building burned down. Bank of America said it secured a new lease to rebuild nearby.

Business Block’s fate is still unclear. Some people want to preserve its shell and turn it into a memorial.

This week, it was ringed by a fence emblazoned with the words “Empowering fresh starts together.”

Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.

“It needs to be demolished and cleaned up,” he said. “It’s an eyesore right now and a hazard. I would put grass on it and make it attractive to the community.”

Twisted and scorched remnants of the the Pacific Palisades Business Block still are there a year after the fire.

A short walk from the Business Block and near a burned-down Ralphs grocery store is the Palisades Garden Cafe, one of the few places in the neighborhood to get food and drink. The small, vibrant cafe was closed for two months after the fire, during which the employees went without pay.

Manager Lita Rodriguez said business is improving, but misses the regulars.

“We used to get tons of students and teachers who live and work here,” she said. “Our customers are mostly contractors now.”

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Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Roger Vincent

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January 9, 2026
Khmai Cambodian Will Reopen After Starbucks Construction Left The Restaurant Covered in Debris

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After being closed for over a month, Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining and its sibling restaurant Kaun Khmai will reopen on Wednesday, September 18 at its Rogers Park location near Loyola University’s campus. Reservations are available for opening day.

One of Eater’s 15 Best New Restaurants in America in 2022, owner and chef Mona Sang closed the restaurant after construction dust at an upcoming Starbucks next door contaminated her restaurant. “Our dining room, our kitchen, and everything was covered in dust, top to bottom,” Sang says. Debris seeped into coolers and contaminated glassware. Sang says she feared that she might never reopen again, noting that a financial advisor estimated it could cost $400,000 to cover lost revenues and cleanup efforts at 6580 N. Sheridan Road.

Sang says construction workers at the neighboring business initially “brushed me off,” and continued work despite the dirt and dust that forced her to throw away $10,000 of food. She says she’s not 100 percent sure how the dust made its way from Starbucks to the restaurant. It may have been the HVAC system or through two holes in a wall between Khmai and the coffee shop. Apparently, a demising wall, a type of structure used to partition sections of a building, was put up by the university and hid the holes from Starbucks’ general contractor. The holes weren’t patched when construction began on August 12. Sang says the contractor told her that their work would not affect her business. But on August 13, she arrived to chaos.

“We couldn’t even breathe, so at that point, I told everyone just to finish up putting things away and put on a mask — I had to have my mom put on a mask, she was having a hard time breathing,” Sang says. “And then basically I was like, I cannot serve people. I cannot do this.”

Sarom Sieng and daught Mona Sang at their original restaurant in Rogers Park.
Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago

She announced the closure in an Instagram post on August 14 and then went into more detail with a video shared on August 23. Now that she’s announced a reopening date, Sang says she hopes Starbucks will halt construction, or at least be considerate, while her restaurant is open. Loud construction noises have a habit of ruining any ambiance in the dining room.

No one has taken accountability for the mess with the unnamed general contractor, Starbucks, and Loyola blaming each other. Sang is caught in the middle after pursuing a fresh start with the university. The restaurateur left her original Rogers Park location near the Evanston border in late 2023 due to trouble with her landlord.

Starbucks maintains that since Loyola is the landlord it’s their responsibility to deal with Sang’s concerns. Sang has written emails and spent countless hours trying to find answers.

“Everybody is going to be pointing fingers,” Sang says. “At this point, I don’t care whose fault it is.”

Sang, who got her start with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, called the decision to close heartbreaking. The restaurants had only been open in the location since June, near the campus where Sang’s daughter attends college. Inside a bigger and more modern space, Sang unveiled two restaurants, a casual space similar to her original, called Khan Khmai. A second dining room housed a different menu, meant to showcase Cambodian cuisine in a more upscale manner. Just before the shutdown, the city had granted Khmai a liquor license and the restaurant had begun serving cocktails. Alcoholic drinks can be a huge revenue generator for restaurants that can help sustain them.

“I put all my hard-earned money into it — all of our savings, creating everything — so that we have just to open up this place and for like, within like, you know, less than two months,” Sang says.

Sang says Loyola was helpful during the closure, but only after she wrote a letter to Loyola CFO Wayne Magdziarz telling him that she needed assistance or her dream restaurant would permanently close. Sang says the school responded to her by offering a loan that could help her quickly reopen. The terms of the loan haven’t yet been finalized so Sang can’t say how much money she’ll borrow. She calls the money “the bare minimum” amount so she can once more serve customers. Sang will also have to dip into her personal savings to keep the restaurant afloat. Loyola did not respond to Eater’s request for comment.

The Starbucks should open sometime this fall. Last week, a Starbucks rep provided a statement on the matter.

“Starbucks is committed to being a good neighbor, and we strongly encourage all parties to find a resolution that works for everyone, so that our soon-to-be neighbor can reopen right away,” the emailed statement reads.

The juxtaposition of a small family-owned restaurant being impacted by the actions of one of the world’s biggest companies isn’t lost upon Sang. She says there’s no way Starbucks would care about her business. Regardless of whose fault it was, Sang says she’s disappointed that no one from Starbucks made contact with her: “Just reaching out and asking if there’s anything we can help you with” would have been nice, Sang says, “Just to say ‘I’m sorry this happened.’”

Khmai’s famous egg rolls.
Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago

Beyond lost revenue, Sang is concerned with broken trust. She feels guilty about canceling reservations — diners had booked tables to celebrate special occasions. Workers left the restaurant needing income while the restaurant remained closed. Some of her mother’s favorite employees won’t be returning, and that’s a difficult conversation Sang had to have. Before closing, Khmai employed about 40 people. Sang says Khmai is hiring for all positions if any service workers have an interest.

On the bright side, opening day will take place on Sieng’s birthday. Though a lot of records and history were lost as they fled Pol Pot’s regime for America, Sang says she believes her mother will turn 82. Cooking Cambodian food proved therapeutic for Sieng and was one of the reasons that made Khmai special. It goes beyond the stellar egg rolls that Sang made for her church before opening her restaurant. Sang also trains workers on the history behind her dishes so they can share with diners.

Sang says when Khmai opens they’ll launch happy hour specials from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the hope that will help them pay off the loan. Later this fall, Khmai will also launch weekend brunch.

Starbucks’s general contractor and Sang’s restaurants shared the same insurance company. Upon learning that, Sang says she wasn’t surprised when the company denied her claim. Sang says friends have recommended attorneys, but right now she’s not pursuing a lawsuit.

“It’s not about even the money,” she says. “The reason we opened up this place was because we wanted to educate Chicago about Cambodian food. We wanted to make sure that we had a place for our community.”

Correction, Monday, September 16, 9:12 p.m.: A previous version of this story misstated that the opening day was Thursday when it is on Wednesday, September 18.

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Ashok Selvam

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September 16, 2024
A portion of Mulholland Drive, damaged by mudslides in winter storms, reopens

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A portion of Los Angeles’ Mulholland Drive has reopened after it was damaged during a monster storm that unleashed mud and debris flows nearly four months ago.

The section of Mulholland between Skyline and Bowmont drives had been shut down since early February, when much of the state was drenched with epic rainfall and hundreds of debris flows were reported in Los Angeles alone.

The city undertook an emergency project to install two new bulkheads to repair washouts from the storm, with construction costs totaling nearly $4.9 million, according to a report from the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering. A contractor completed the work Friday afternoon, and the stretch was reopened, said Mary Nemick, the bureau’s director of communications.

The twisting road that snakes through the Hollywood Hills is famous for its hairpin turns and sweeping views. It has appeared in many films, including the David Lynch mystery of the same name. Portions of the road are notoriously vulnerable to storms, with closures tending to follow heavy rains.

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Alex Wigglesworth

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May 25, 2024
Mudslides, drowned highways, upended homes: Scenes from Southern California’s atmospheric river

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Enriqueta Lima stood beside her car in Studio City, holding a puffer jacket over her head as a cold, steady rain fell Monday morning.

Lima, 49, had parked near Fryman Road, a street in a wooded canyon lined with million-dollar homes. She cleans a house there and was trying to figure out if it was safe to keep driving. She had not heard from the homeowners Sunday night, as the slow-moving storm poured down, so she decided to risk the drive to Studio City Monday after dropping her daughter off at school.

“I got scared thinking about driving here,” Lima said in Spanish. “I don’t want to park my car where it’s flooded.”

Mud and water flowed down the street. She got back into her gray sedan and drove away.

Across Southern California, hillside and canyon neighborhoods bore the brunt of the powerful atmospheric river that parked itself over Los Angeles late Sunday just as the Grammys were being handed out at Crypto.com Arena downtown.

The record-breaking deluge — which prompted a state of emergency declaration from Gov. Gavin Newsom — triggered mudslides and evacuations, damaged houses, flooded roadways and knocked out power for thousands of people.

In Northern California, three deaths, all from fallen trees, were attributed to the storm, officials said. One was in Santa Cruz County, one in Sutter County and one in Sacramento County.

Still, amid a massive deployment of emergency response teams, more widespread public safety issues have so far been avoided.

“Things have held. We are in pretty good shape,” Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said Monday. But, he added, “we are not out of the woods yet.”

The rains will keep coming, off and on, most of the week, according to the National Weather Service. And the cleanup has just begun.

On Monday afternoon in Studio City, yellow trucks from the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services lined Fryman Road, where a mudslide had coated the roadway in piles of mud, rocks, tree limbs and debris laced with silverware, tools, garden pots and books. The debris field crashed down from Lockridge Road, which sits beneath Dearing Mountain Trail in Fryman Canyon Park.

Longtime resident Scott Toro said the mudslide Sunday night “sounded like a plane crashing.”

“It sounded like, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ and we came outside and saw all this debris,” said Toro, 60. “I saw all these rocks.”

Toro left his home after midnight and stayed at a relative’s house. He said he’s used to water coming down the ravine during storms, but “we’ve never had anything like this.”

In nearby Beverly Glen, on Caribou Lane, an upside-down piano — caked in mud, keys askew — lay in the road. In that neighborhood, mud flows pushed a house off its foundation around 2 a.m. Monday, said Travis Longcore, who lives a few houses down.

“It was a big rumbling sound and then a boom,” he said.

The house, neighbors said, was unoccupied.

The winding residential streets south of the Encino Reservoir, covered with tree branches and muck, were mostly deserted Monday. On nearby Boris Drive, the storm washed away the hillside behind Nathan Khalili’s rented house, leaving a steep, muddy scar in its place.

“I’m usually not worried about storms, but I didn’t think a … landslide would happen,” said Khalili, 23. “I woke up, looked outside and half the mud had slid down the hill.”

Khalili lost power between midnight and 9 a.m. Monday. His phone, on which he sets his morning alarm, died overnight. “I’m supposed to be at work right now,” said Khalili, an insurance broker. “But I accidentally slept in.”

On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where a landslide caused several homes to slide into a canyon last summer, residents were wary as they watched the downpour.

David Zee, whose house in Rolling Hills Estates was red-tagged after neighboring homes on Peartree Lane collapsed, said he went to his home Monday to check for damage. Though his house is upright, Zee and his family have been displaced since July. The landslide, according to a city report, was triggered by excessive precipitation during a series of heavy storms last winter. Now, every time it rains, Zee worries.

“There’s not much we can do,” he said. “We just have to hope that our hillside, our foundation that our home sits on, doesn’t buckle under the weight of all the rain.”

According to the National Weather Service, a staggering 11.34 inches of rain had fallen in Topanga Canyon by Monday afternoon.

Keith Wilbur, 65, walked along Topanga Canyon Boulevard in rubber rain boots and a plastic poncho. Wilbur was walking home from the Topanga Creek General Store. He said he needed something to drink after his water pipe burst. His hands and forearms were coated in mud. He had hiked about two miles to get to the store and fell in the mud on a closed stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

“There are cones there stopping cars from going through, but I figured I could walk,” he said.

Wilbur lives on the boulevard and said two creeks intersect on his property. Both were overflowing. He said he and his family got an evacuation notice a few days ago but didn’t want to leave their animals behind.

“I have six peacocks, two dogs and a 400-pound pig,” he said. “How am I supposed to put them all in a car and drive off?”

Also wandering the boulevard on foot was a bearded man in a wetsuit, who carried a neon green kayak and wore a GoPro camera strapped to his chest. He did not give his name but said, a bit sheepishly, that he was going to Topanga Creek, which is usually too dry for kayaking.

Nearby, three young men and a young woman stood ankle-deep in mud as a plow pushed debris to the side of the road. Each held a can of White Claw alcoholic seltzer. Among them, Maxwell Stiggants said his driveway was covered in mud and he couldn’t leave his property by vehicle. A neighbor was driving the plow, trying to clear the area.

“Do we look worried?” Stiggants asked, holding up his drink and chuckling. “It’s either this or a fire.”

Staff writers Ashley Ahn, Hannah Fry, Summer Lin and Hannah Wiley contributed to this report.

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Angie Orellana Hernandez, Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Nathan Solis, Melissa Gomez, Hailey Branson-Potts

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February 5, 2024
Brutal storm will make direct hit on L.A. County; people urged to avoid driving if possible

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With this week’s monster storm now expected to make a direct hit on Los Angeles County on Sunday and Monday, officials are urging people to stay off roads amid concerns about flooding and mudslides.

The intense, sustained rains are going to make for an ugly and potentially dangerous Monday commute, and officials said people should avoid being on the roads if possible.

“If anyone has an opportunity to work remotely on Monday, that’s definitely the day to do it,” said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Forecast worsens for L.A.

The forecast rain totals for Los Angeles County worsened Sunday, with totals generally going up by about 2 inches in some areas. It’s now possible that, by the time this storm tapers off Tuesday, Pasadena could see around 10 inches of rain; with about 7 inches in Northridge, Pomona and Santa Clarita; about 6 inches in downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and Westlake Village; and about 5 inches in Redondo Beach.

If these totals hold true, the Southland is likely to see widespread flooding and mudflows and debris flows in hillside areas, especially those hit by recent fires.

Danger on roads

“We’re expecting a lot of freeway flooding and road flooding, road closures. Many parked cars will be flooded… especially in low-lying areas of neighborhoods,” Kittell said. “Even if the rain does start to let up on Monday morning, just the sheer amount of rain overnight will cause lingering flooding issues into the morning hours,” Kittell said. “Especially, stay off the freeways.”

Kittell added: “Any areas that are vulnerable to mudslides — this definitely has the signature for that, especially as you get closer to Los Angeles County, but also including Ventura and Santa Barbara County.” Expect plenty of mud, rocks and debris on canyon roads, “flooded neighborhoods,” and the potential for people living near creeks and rivers to need rescue from strong flows.

‘Stay home’

“If you are not home already, please get home and stay home. Stay off the roads,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “As we anticipate this weather event continuing into the next couple of days, if you are able to work remotely, please stay home.”

L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian said the anticipated amount of rainfall is rare for Los Angeles, and noted that “we’ve only had this kind of intensity twice before in the last over 40 years, so take it seriously.”

“If you absolutely have to drive, slow down,” Krekorian said. “Don’t drive through flooded areas — there are going to be potholes. There are going to be dangers, and you’re going to be putting not only yourself but others on the road at risk as well.”

Some Los Angeles County employees are being advised to work from home Monday, said Lindsey Horvath, chair of the county Board of Supervisors.

Last week’s storm was far less powerful but caused significant street flooding.

On Thursday, inundated roads clogged the morning commute, closing southbound lanes of the 710 Freeway at Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach and a portion of PCH at the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica. In Huntington Beach, a three-mile stretch of PCH was also shut down by flooding.

Almost seven miles of Palos Verdes Drive South from Hawthorne Boulevard to Palos Verdes Drive East closed for a few hours Thursday because of flooding and a mudslide that left debris and mud across the roadway, with authorities urging residents to “shelter in place until the heavy rain passes.”

Floodwaters also submerged vehicles in low-lying areas of Long Beach on Thursday.

Worse than Hilary?

For some of the populous areas of Southern California, this storm will bring winds that will actually be “much stronger” than Tropical Storm Hilary in August, especially in the lower elevations, Kittell said.

Hilary brought most of its rain on the inland side of Southern California’s mountains and in the deserts; this weekend’s storm is focused on “the coastal side of the mountain — so where a lot of people live … the urban, city areas along the coast and valleys, and the south-facing foothills,” he added.

Schools

The L.A. Unified School District will hold classes Monday.

“Our schools represent more than just education. They are the places where many of our kids receive their nutrition,” Supt. Alberto Carvalho said. “After this weekend, many will depend on that breakfast, the lunch, the snack and in many cases, a dinner. Our schools will be open.”

But recognizing the threat of the storm, Carvalho also said parents and staff should not put themselves in danger Monday.

“We will be exercising a great deal of grace, of patience and understanding both with our students as well as our workforce,” Carvalho said. “I urge parents and the workforce to make decisions on the basis of what you know surrounding your community and your journey to your school or place of work. Do not put yourself in danger.”

More safety information

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Rong-Gong Lin II, Hayley Smith

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February 4, 2024
After San Clemente landslide halted train service, agency will tap emergency funds

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The Orange County Transportation Authority is getting emergency aid to repair train tracks in San Clemente after a landslide that halted service indefinitely between Orange and San Diego counties.

On Thursday, Caltrans issued an emergency declaration as a result of the recent landslide. Passenger train service was stopped between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside stations, which are used by Metrolink and Amtrak passengers.

“The hillside still is moving, which is why passenger rail service hasn’t resumed,” said Scott Johnson, director of communications for Metrolink. He said, however, measures were taken to brace the hillside above the tracks before Thursday’s storm set in.

The emergency declaration allows the OCTA, which owns that section of the rail line, to access up to $10 million in immediate emergency repair funding.

On Jan. 24, track personnel observed debris and dirt falling onto the track, prompting the closure, Johnson told The Times on Thursday.

Ahead of this week’s storm, “there was a significant amount of excavation and grading that took place,” Johnson said, “along with efforts to restore an extensive culvert system.”

Workers placed tubes, pipes, ballast and rock as well as tarping to brace for the rain.

Teams were “out there throughout the day Wednesday,” he said. “They do continue to see movement, but no significant debris has fallen onto the track.”

Some freight trains are still allowed to use the track between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. but at drastically reduced speeds, he said.

Despite the emergency declaration and impending funding, there is still no timeline as to when passenger rail service will resume.

This isn’t the first time in recent years that the tracks have been closed due to a landslide. A similar incident occurred in April.

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Karen Garcia

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February 1, 2024
Navy awards $6-million contract for cleanup of World War II hangar in Tustin that burned

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Navy officials announced this week that a $6-million contract has been awarded to an environmental cleanup firm to remove the debris that were released when an historic 17-story hangar in the city of Tustin caught fire.

There is no start date yet for the work awarded to ECC Environmental LCC.

The fire at one of two blimp hangars built in 1942 started Nov. 7 and burned for 24 days. The south hangar was not damaged. The two structures were part of a Marine Corps. air station that closed in 1997. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to city officals.

The Navy has agreed to pay Tustin $11 million toward the cleaning and repairs from the damage caused when fumes and debris from the fire drifted through the city. Tustin officials reported that the cost associated with the recovery may exceed $100 million. As the fire burned, residents feared that ash and debris from the World War II-era hangar contained asbestos.

Orange County’s top public health officer said Dec. 15 that there “is no concern regarding airborne asbestos” from the fire.

Residents have been instructed to report debris via a website where they can find regular updates on the hangar cleanup efforts.

According to a Dec. 20 city update, “certified asbestos consultants and asbestos mitigation teams” had completed 12 residential inspections and mitigations and 12 inspections. A total of 1,144 reports of debris have been filed with the city, with 1,143 inspected and 975 “mitigated and cleared,” according to the report.

City officials and the Navy said they are bringing down the remaining pieces of the hangar in a joint effort to avoid hazardous materials from further contaminating the city.

The deconstruction process of the hangar began Dec. 5, according to city officials.

Certified asbestos consultants and mitigation teams completed inspections of all public right of ways in Tustin as of Dec. 11. All public parks are open, according to a city report.

The city reported that all 29 Tustin Unified School District schools have been inspected for hazardous debris, including asbestos, and are open. Legacy Magnet Academy, one of the schools closest to the hangars, was the last to reopen, on Wednesday.

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Roberto Reyes

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December 22, 2023
After 24 days, officials declare Tustin hangar fire 'fully extinguished'

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Officials in Orange County declared Friday that the Tustin hangar fire is “fully extinguished” after 24 days, calling the blaze “one of the most challenging structure fires in the county’s history.”

“I am pleased to inform the public that the final hotspot at the Navy Hangar Fire has been extinguished,” Steve Dohman, Orange County’s All-Hazards Incident Management Team incident commander, said in a statement. “With all hotspots now declared out, the work to safely lower the hangar doors can begin, and the Navy can start removing debris from its site.”

The cause of the fire, which began in the early morning hours of Nov. 7 at the now-defunct Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, remains under investigation.

An 80-year-old relic of Orange County’s military history, the massive 17-story wooden hangar became an environmental nightmare as the fire reignited several times, forcing the closure of nearby schools and shuttering residents inside their homes as the blaze released asbestos, lead and other toxins into the air.

Fire officials at one point determined the safest option was to allow the blaze to burn itself out, afraid that dropping thousands of gallons of water onto the structure would farther spread the debris and toxic particles.

As of Friday, officials estimated that cleanup of nearby schools, parks, open space and public rights of way was 90% complete and that more than 50% of residential properties have been inspected with 35% cleared.

Local officials advised residents who are concerned about debris to contact a certified asbestos contractor and their homeowners insurance company.

“The residents and businesses in the area who have been impacted by this fire now need the full accountability of the Navy and the support of the Governor’s Office and FEMA to help our City and our community financially recover,” Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard said in a statement.

The north hangar was one of two massive wooden structures used by the military during World War II and later served as sets for the TV show “Star Trek” and the film “Pearl Harbor.” The hangars once housed military helicopters and blimps armed with machine guns and bombs.

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Taryn Luna

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December 2, 2023
Demolition of burned Tustin hangar underway; asbestos levels ‘below any level of concern’

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The scorched remains of a World War II blimp hangar in Tustin are being razed as air quality officials call nearby asbestos levels “below any level of concern” while continuing to urge neighbors to take safety precautions.

The enormous wooden military relic went up in flames Nov. 7, showering ash and debris — later found to contain asbestos — on nearby residential neighborhoods.

The 17-story hangar smoldered for more than a week, and residents have struggled to get information about the fallout on air quality and airborne contaminants, including when debris will be removed from their properties. While the property is owned by the Navy, a mix of government agencies have been involved in the firefight and aftermath, including the Orange County Fire Authority and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

“Our biggest frustration overall is that there’s just nobody in charge,” nearby resident Jeff Lawrence told The Times.

Deconstruction of the hangar should be completed in the next day or two, Tustin officials said Saturday. Plans call for extinguishing all remaining hotspots of the fire, using heavy equipment excavators to remove debris and clearing roadways so water trucks can reach all areas of the hanger.

The trucks equipped with nozzles and hoses will be used for fire suppression and dust abatement throughout the process. The hangar doors and their supporting concrete pillars will be stabilized and left in place for the time being.

“Since monitoring began, all particulate matter from smoke and fire data at community sites are well below any level of concern,” the city said in a statement. “Asbestos sampling data received to date are also well below any levels of concern.”

Most schools in the area have been cleared for on-campus instruction attendance, but a few are still being inspected by asbestos consultants, the Tustin Unified School District said on its website Sunday.

Most public parks are open, but Centennial Park and Veterans Sports Park remain closed until further notice, parks officials said.

The Orange County Healthcare Agency recommends people who believe their neighborhood has been affected by fire debris take such precautions as keeping doors and windows closed and not running air conditioning systems that draw in outside air. Avoid activities that will displace debris related to the fire, such as sweeping, leaf blowing, mowing and gardening. 

Blocks of the city where bulk debris from the fire has been collected are shown a map on the city website.

Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report

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Roger Vincent

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November 19, 2023
Neighborhoods get little guidance about toxic risks after massive Tustin hangar fire

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Johnny Schillereff and his wife, Kori, never worried about their home’s proximity to the historic Tustin hangars. If anything, the cavernous wooden structures made the Columbus Square neighborhood where they settled after moving from Newport Beach three years ago even more attractive.

They’d have family dinners on their front porch and watch the moon illuminate the north hangar, which is visible through the trees that line the neighborhood park across the street. In a slice of Orange County sometimes described as sanitized, the 80-year-old relic of military history lent an aura of nostalgia, evoking a past that predated the region’s orderly planned communities and convenient access to shopping.

But on Nov. 7, the couple and their 18-year-old son woke to a smoke-filled neighborhood. The towering flames consuming the north hangar were visible from their front door. Ash and debris — later found to contain asbestos — rained down. Some neighbors, worried the fire would reach their homes, used garden hoses to soak their roofs. Others packed up their cars and left.

Many assumed the fire’s impacts would be short-lived. But the 17-story hangar smoldered for more than a week, and residents have struggled to get information about the fallout on air quality and airborne contaminants, including when debris will be removed from their properties.

“Our son is completely freaked out over it, so I have to stay calm so that he isn’t afraid,” Kori Schillereff said. “But it’s so difficult finding any information about what we should do. I’m getting most of my information from Nextdoor.”

On Thursday afternoon, after burning for more than a week, the two massive concrete doors on either side of the north hangar and a sliver of one of the walls were all that remained. What’s left of the building will be demolished; officials have not set a timeline.

“It’s almost like if you bought a house on a lakefront. You buy the house because you like the vibe of the lake — and the lake just dries up,” Johnny Schillereff said. “This thing is just gone.”

Even as neighbors mourn the loss of the monumental structure, many are frustrated with how the fire was managed and a lack of clear communication about their exposure and risk level. While the property is owned by the Navy, a mix of government agencies have been involved in the firefight and aftermath, including the Orange County Fire Authority and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

“Our biggest frustration overall is that there’s just nobody in charge,” said Jeff Lawrence, who lives in the nearby Columbus Grove neighborhood. “Everything’s just a mess because there’s not coordination and every agency is just independently doing their own thing with no real communication with the community.”

In the early hours of the fire, officials said there were no concerns about asbestos exposure. But the presence of asbestos and other metals in the World War II-era building has been documented in reports dating back years.

On the day of the fire, the South Coast Air Quality Management District deployed a mobile monitor to measure for hazardous substances in the air, including lead and arsenic. That day, “for short periods of time” the monitor recorded elevated levels of lead and arsenic inside the smoke plume, according to information posted on the city of Tustin’s website.

On the second day of the fire, the air quality district placed monitors at four locations near the hangars — Veterans Sports Park, the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy, Legacy Magnet Academy and Amalfi Apartments — to test for asbestos. Samples collected Nov. 8-12 showed no asbestos, according to reports.

In the days that followed, the Navy, city of Tustin, Environmental Protection Agency and air quality district deployed 51 air monitors across a roughly 3.5-mile radius around the hangar. They found particulate matter to be “well below any level of concern,” according to the city.

But asbestos has been detected in samples of ash and debris collected at Veterans Sports Park and near the hangar. The air quality district wrote the materials “should be considered hazardous and avoided.” As the fire continued to burn, strong Santa Ana winds fueled concerns that contaminated materials could be carried across the county.

“More systematic sampling is really needed to determine what’s going on at the community level,” said Michael Kleinman, a UC Irvine professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. This, he added, should include sampling upwind and downwind of the fire and analyzing how the wind may have affected debris movement.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that until the 1970s was widely used in building products and insulation materials because of its resistance to heat and corrosion. The material, which has been linked to mesothelioma and other lung cancers, is no longer widely used. However, it’s still found in older buildings, including the hangars, which were built in 1942.

Asbestos becomes a health hazard when the dust becomes airborne and is inhaled. The fibers can embed in human lungs and cause issues years later. While there’s no safe level of exposure, Kleinman said, “the risk goes up the more you’re exposed with higher doses and with a longer exposure time.”

On Friday, five members of Congress who represent Orange County sent a letter to the South Coast Air Quality Management District pushing for additional testing on air quality and debris.

When the fire broke out, parents sent their children to school with the understanding they would be kept indoors because of poor air quality. But amid early confusion, not all schools complied, and at least one parent said his child came home bearing plastic bags of debris from the fire that had blown onto the elementary school campus.

The Tustin Unified School District later closed all campuses and hired a contractor to clean schools before they reopened. As of Friday, about a dozen campuses remained closed. Still, some parents worry their kids were exposed to asbestos.

“My daughter has her friend group chats, and the kids talk about cancer now,” Lawrence said. “You don’t really think about that as a topic 10- or 11-year-olds should be discussing on a daily basis.”

Some residents have paid to get the interiors of their homes tested. One report provided to The Times by a Columbus Square homeowner said asbestos was detected on the kitchen and living room floors.

On Thursday afternoon, crews dressed in white hazmat suits with respirators walked streets near the hangar collecting debris in trash bags.

John Avalos, who lives roughly a mile from the hangars, was one of several people who stopped by the site to take photos of what remained. Rain from a day earlier seemed to have extinguished the last remnants of fire.

“I’ve been taking photos just to see how it’s been progressing, because there have been so many flare-ups,” Avalos said. “It’s really sad.”

Thursday was the first day since the fire erupted that the Schillereff family felt it was OK to take their long-haired dachshund, Mr. Rogers, out for a walk rather than ferrying him by car to the community dog park. Even so, strolling through the neighborhood park, they wondered just how safe it was.

“We’re still getting mixed information,” Johnny Schillereff said. “And it’s not very comforting when you go out to walk your dog and there’s still people walking around in hazmat suits picking up debris.”

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Hannah Fry

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November 19, 2023
Column: O.C. let its history rot. And the Tustin hangar fire is still burning

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Soon after Jude Francis moved into his new three-story Tustin townhouse in 2012, he attended an open house at his famous neighbor across the street: the city’s twin blimp hangars.

Seventeen stories tall, as wide as a football field and over 1,000 feet long, the wooden structures were built by the Navy in World War II to house dirigibles assigned to patrol the Pacific Coast. The Marines took over during the Korean War, storing military helicopters there until shutting down the facility in 1999.

By then, the hangars had become a beloved part of the Orange County landscape. For decades, they were the tallest buildings in the area, towering over a county that went from agriculture to suburbia to today’s metropolis of nearly 3.2 million people. The elegantly curved behemoths were visible by plane when landing at John Wayne Airport, from the 55 Freeway and for miles around.

They got the Hollywood treatment in films like “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and the 2009 reboot of “Star Trek.” As surrounding neighborhoods developed, people got a better view of the fenced-off hangars, inspiring a new generation to fall in love with them and reigniting a question that city, county and military officials had long avoided:

What the hell would O.C. do with these white elephants?

Francis got a glimpse of the future when he and other residents attended the open house.

“They had a grand plan of how they were going to keep one and convert the other one into ice rinks and duck ponds,” said the tech consultant. “And I thought, ‘Oh, man, I’m going to live next to heaven.’”

We stood near his residence on a recent morning, looking onto a small version of hell.

Residents watch a stubborn fire burning the North Hangar at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin on Nov. 7. The structure was still smoldering a week later

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

On Nov. 7, the North Hangar caught fire. Firefighters tried to put out the flames before deciding the sheer size of the structure made the task too dangerous. So they let it burn.

The hangar’s roof had completely collapsed. The top edge of the wall that once held it up was jagged and blackened. Worse, the inferno had spewed toxic substances like asbestos and nickel. Tustin schools were planning for remote learning through the week; eight nearby city parks were closed indefinitely.

A squadron of men wearing half-face respirators and covered in flimsy personal protective equipment from head to foot vacuumed every crack of the parking lot at nearby Veterans Sports Park. A plume of black smoke puffed up from the hangar’s ruins.

“This is horrible,” Francis said, shaking his head. His roof and gutters had been clogged with ash and debris. “They should’ve done something to develop it. They did nothing.”

Next to us, Tom Hammer (“like the tool”) narrated videos that he was recording for his brother-in-law in Michigan. The retired fourth-grade teacher had driven up from San Clemente that morning with his black Chihuahua, Lola. His late father had served at the air station, as had his brother-in-law, who “was crying his eyes out,” Hammer said. “I was too busted up to come earlier. That’s my childhood there, burning up in flames.”

That was the first sentiment felt by many Orange County residents when news of the fire hit. The Tustin blimp hangars were our version of the Watts Towers: beloved architectural marvels of a bygone time that we drove past but rarely stopped to visit.

A week later, sadness had turned to anger.

Authorities still have no idea when the fire will die down, but demolition will be the next step. The hangar shouldn’t have suffered such an ignominious end.

It, along with its sibling, had stood empty for nearly 25 years, as local, county and Navy authorities dallied on what to do with them. Ever-changing plans were proposed to demolish both, keep one, or keep both, but money always got in the way. A section of the North Hangar’s roof collapsed in 2013, but Navy officials did little more than make sure it didn’t break any further. A 2017 Orange County grand jury urged action before the hangars decayed even more.

A disaster cleanup crew picks up potentially toxic debris from the still-burning WWII-era blimp hangar at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Hammer brushed his foot on the lawn and kicked up white shards. “Light this with fire, and it burns like a lantern,” he said.

“I hate to say it, but it had become an eyesore,” he continued. Near the bottom of the smoldering North Hangar were long-abandoned, boarded-up barracks surrounded by dead, overgrown grass. A flimsy fence was all that kept the public away.

“I’m old and fat, and I could get over that fence,” he joked, before getting serious and gesturing at Francis.

“From my father to me to this gentleman, we’ve been saying ‘Do something.’ Either fish or cut bait. Either do something, about it or knock it down. People wanted to do something. But …”

He stopped to emphasize what he was about to say: “They never did anything with it.”

It’s usually about a minute-long drive from Veterans Sport Park down Valencia Avenue to the intersection of Kensington Park Drive, which offers the best place to see the other side of North Hangar. Street closures forced me to go through residential streets instead. People walked their dogs wearing masks and sunglasses while 18-wheelers followed by trucks flashing hazard lights rumbled past.

I parked in a nearby shopping plaza and made my way to the outdoor patio of a Sweetgreen, where Andirondack chairs sat empty. The downed hangar looked even worse from here.

The eastern wall was completely gone, revealing timber arches that reminded me of an exposed rib cage. The hangar’s huge door, which weighed over 100 tons, leaned off its steel rails and seemed a Santa Ana wind away from collapsing.

The obvious comparison would’ve been to a decomposed beached whale, or one of the destroyed alien spaceships from “Independence Day.” But my mind went to Percy Bysshe Shelly’s “Ozymandias,” the immortal poem about hubris told through the scene of a shattered statue.

Soon after the air station’s closure, Tustin officials allowed luxury neighborhoods with gag-inducing names like Levity at Tustin Legacy and Amalfi Apartments to spring up near the hangars. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy sent letters to local homeowners associations two years ago warning that the groundwater under their homes might hold toxic chemicals from the military past.

The destroyed North Hangar represents the folly of Orange County, a place that romanticizes its past while letting it rot if there’s no profit to be made. Now, residents are suffering.

A disaster cleanup crew picks and vacuums up potentially toxic debris from the still-burning WWII-era blimp hangar at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station on Monday. Orange County Fire Authority personnel remained on the scene keeping watch on the blaze, with one firefighter telling KTLA-TV Channel 5’s Annie Rose Ramos that all they could do was let it burn out.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The air began to sting my eyes and throat as Irvine resident Rebecca Flores and her son, Christian, took photos of the scene.

“This is a worst-case scenario,” she said. “No one knows what’s going to happen.”

“They’re not holding press conferences. They’re not doing much of anything,” said Christian, who works at a nearby retailer and said his colleagues were afraid to show up. “They’re just letting it burn.”

Before us, a row of workers with vacuums slowly walked down Valencia like crime scene investigators. Next to them was Legacy Magnet Academy, a middle and high school built in the style of the hangars. It was closed.

Rebecca kept brushing debris from Christian’s shoulders. We all wore facemasks. Hers bore a Stars and Stripes-style logo of The Punisher, a Marvel superhero popular among law enforcement supporters.

“I don’t like wearing masks,” Rebecca said, before offering a laugh. “But I’m wearing one for this.”

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Gustavo Arellano

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November 15, 2023
Tustin schools close after asbestos is found in ash from large World War-II hangar fire

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Local schools were closed and health officials are suggesting Tustin residents stay indoors after officials confirmed asbestos was found in ash and debris emanating from a fire that has destroyed a massive and historic military hangar.

The alert, from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, or AQMD, came two days after a fire began to engulf one of two World War II-era hangars in the now-defunct Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, sending large plumes of smoke into the air. Big swaths of the large structure, which reached 17 stories high and 1,000 feet long, collapsed as flames devoured the mostly wooden structure.

Late Wednesday night, Tustin Unified School District Superintendent Mark Johnson announced concerns about asbestos coming from the fire and prompted school officials to shut down local schools. The decision came after a nighttime conference call with local agencies, including AQMD, Johnson said in an email to parents, which was later posted on the district’s website.

In the call, health officials confirmed debris in the area tested higher than 1% positive for asbestos.

“With student and staff safety being our highest priority and in collaboration with the City of Tustin and Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), we made the decision to close all school campuses within Tustin Unified School District,” Johnson wrote. “We apologize for the timing of this email and understand how this greatly impacts students, staff and family.”

Schools would also remain closed Friday in observance of the Veteran’s Day holiday.

The decision to close schools came shortly after the AQMD confirmed late Wednesday in a news release the presence of asbestos near the fire.

“Samples of debris and ash were collected in public areas near the hangar, and results of laboratory testing show the presence of asbestos,” the statement read.

The agency has also collected air samples in nearby communities to test for air toxics, such as benzene, lead and arsenic. Results for those tests would be available within 24 hours, according to the agency.

Concerns about the air quality in the nearby community were raised shortly after the fire was first spotted early Tuesday.

Smoke poured into the sky from the former military base near Warner Avenue and Armstrong Road, which was home to two hangars meant to house blimps during World War II.

The two hangars in the base housed helicopters and other weapons during the Korean War.

After the fire tore through the wooden structure for hours, firefighters with the Orange County Fire Authority announced they were pulling back personnel and letting the fire burn through the structure because sections were collapsing, posing a risk for their firefighters.

To fight the fire, officials at one point deployed 11 engines, five fire trucks and a Chinook helicopter that is normally used to fight brush fires.

On Wednesday, fire officials said little smoke was still visible, but smoke and ash could still pose a health risk to residents.

The Orange County Health Care Agency is asking residents to remain indoors, close doors and windows or “seek alternate shelter to reduce exposure to smoke and ash.”

Residents are also advised not to touch any ash falling from the fire, and to immediately wash any of it off if it falls on their skin, eyes or mouth.

Parents are asked to wash their children’s toys if they were dirtied with ash, and those who decide to go outside to use N95 or P100 masks for protection.

On Thursday, county and city officials activated an Emergency Operations Center in response to the fire, air quality concerns, and clean up of the incident. The center has also created a web page to provide the public updates on the fire and impacts.

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Salvador Hernandez

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November 9, 2023
Debris-recovery effort underway after U.S. fighter jets pursue and shoot down Chinese balloon off Carolina coast

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President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this week and that national-security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when the the object was over water.

“They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

Fighter jets shot down the giant white balloon off the Carolina coast after it apparently traversed sensitive military sites across North America, prompting the postponement of a high-level U.S. diplomatic trip to China and becoming the latest flashpoint in the prevailing tense tone between Washington and Beijing.

“ In preparation for the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the Charleston and Myrtle Beach airports in South Carolina and the Wilmington airport in North Carolina. ”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that Biden approved the shoot-down on Wednesday, saying it should be done “as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon’s path.”

Austin said that, due to the size and altitude of the balloon, which was floating at an altitude of about 60,000 feet, the military had determined that taking it down over land would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

The balloon was observed Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast.

In preparation for the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the Charleston and Myrtle Beach airports in South Carolina and the Wilmington airport in North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.

An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean to recover debris from the balloon, which had been estimated to be about the size of three school buses. CNN reported that, according to a senior military source, Navy divers and unmanned vessels were among the assets deployed for the recovery effort, primarily, according to the source, in 47-foot-deep water.

The balloon was downed by Air Force fighter aircraft, according to two officials who were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. CNN reported having been informed that a single missile fired by one of the U.S. jets had brought the balloon down.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water. U.S. military jets were seen flying in the vicinity and ships were deployed in the water to mount the recovery operation.

A South Carolina man posted video that appeared to capture the event as it unfolded. He told CNN he was a social-studies teacher and that his fiancée had recommended he point his camera at the object in advance of its downing.

Officials were aiming to time the operation so they could recover as much of the debris as possible before it sinks into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that any debris field would be substantial.

The balloon was first spotted over Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear-missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Biden had explored ordering the downing of the balloon over land when he was first briefed on it Tuesday, but Pentagon officials advised against that course of action, warning that the potential risk to people on the ground outweighed an assessment of potential Chinese intelligence gains.

The public disclosure of the balloon’s travels this week prompted the cancellation of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing that had been scheduled for Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions.

The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down that cancellation. “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.

China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that claim out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.

Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that [China’s] decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was overhyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.

Republican politicians in the U.S. sought to characterize Biden’s and the Pentagon’s decision to monitor the balloon until it reached a location where it could be safely targeted militarily as kowtowing to the Chinese.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it was a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it based on an isolated balloon incident.

MarketWatch contributed.

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February 4, 2023