Hangar Fire at Minot Air Force Base Published Jan. 6, 2020 By Airman 1st Class Caleb S. Kimmell 5th Bomb Wing MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- On the night of Dec. 28th, 2019, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, responded to a fire near the flightline. "My Airmen were out there as soon as we got the call,” said Master Sgt. Darnell Dobson, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant fire chief. “We responded as quickly as possible and handled the situation better than I could've imagined." Minot AFB firefighters helped keep our Airmen and assets safe. The fire blazed, being nearly double the height of the hangar itself. With four trucks placed strategically around the building, the situation was contained. It took the firefighters six hours to extinguish the fire, and they were on standby until the next day to ensure the scene was safe. "As soon as we arrived we went defensive,” said Dobson. “We had to make sure nothing else would be harmed. We started spraying water in order to mitigate the threat." The hangar was constructed in 1958 and was used as a fighter aircraft hangar, It was not designed to accommodate the B-52H Stratofortress. Instead, it has been used to contain transient alert equipment as well as snow control equipment for the winter months. No one was injured and the hangar did not have any personnel or aircraft inside. "My Airmen have never seen anything this big before, but we train daily,” said Dobson. “We are confident in our ability, and we handed the situation beautifully." The City of Minot Fire Station helped Minot AFB contain the fire. "It was cold that night,” said Dobson. “We fought the weather along with the fire. Thankfully we had local fire stations come and help us. Along with that, I had people from all across the base talk to me and ask if we needed help. That level of comradery is very special.” The fire was declared to be put out on Dec. 29th, 2019, at roughly 3:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is under a safety investigation.