Located in Kern County, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, Edwards AFB was established in 1933 as Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range and became Muroc Army Air Field during World War II before being renamed in 1949 to honor Captain Glen W. Edwards, a test pilot killed during experimental flight testing. Today it's home to the 412th Test Wing and serves as the Air Force's primary flight testing installation, supporting the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, F-15 Eagle, F-22 Raptor, C-17 Globemaster III, and numerous NASA aerospace programs including Space Shuttle landings. That mission required aircraft maintenance hangars, engine test facilities, flight test laboratories, machine shops, and fire stations, much of it built between the 1940s and 1970s.
Edwards AFB firefighters had a job most installations didn't: preparing for fires involving experimental aircraft nobody else was flying yet. As the Air Force's premier flight test installation, Edwards AFB maintains one of the military's busiest Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting organizations, protecting active runways, experimental aircraft, and fuel storage areas. Air Force environmental investigations have identified multiple locations tied to historical AFFF training, maintenance, and storage, and in 2024 the Department of the Air Force announced the transition to fluorine-free foam across all installations, including Edwards AFB, closing out this chapter of the base's history.
- Air Force Fire Protection Specialists loaded and mixed foam concentrate before drills
- ARFF personnel worked hoses directly against live and simulated fuel fires
- fire instructors ran certification exercises on a recurring schedule
- firefighter trainees cycled through the same live-fire training as full crew members
- civilian firefighters assigned to the base handled the same equipment and foam
- maintenance staff serviced trucks and foam delivery systems between every exercise
Firefighters with this kind of sustained AFFF exposure face a documented risk of four cancers: kidney, testicular, liver, and thyroid. If you trained or served as a firefighter at Edwards AFB and were later diagnosed with one of these cancers, our team can help you determine whether you're eligible to file an AFFF claim.
Like most Air Force installations built during and after World War II, Edwards AFB made extensive use of asbestos for its heat resistance, durability, and insulating properties. Materials commonly used throughout the base's laboratories, hangars, and test facilities included:
- turbine and generator insulation
- boiler room lagging
- acoustic ceiling panels
- floor tile adhesive
- window and door glazing compound
- cement siding
- electrical panel backing
- furnace cement
- valve packing
Given the base's aircraft testing mission, occupational exposure was especially likely among:
- aircraft mechanic
- aircraft structural repair technician
- civil engineer
- electrician
- pipefitter
- HVAC technician
- boiler technician
- welder
- civilian contractor
Edwards AFB has operated continuously since World War II, and its hundreds of industrial buildings, maintenance facilities, and laboratories were constructed during decades when asbestos was standard throughout military construction. Personnel responsible for maintaining this aging infrastructure faced the greatest risk of exposure over the base's long operational history. Mesothelioma and lung cancer remain the two illnesses most closely connected to that exposure, both capable of taking 20 to 50 years to surface after fibers are first inhaled. If you worked at Edwards Air Force Base and have since been diagnosed with either condition, contact our team to find out whether you're eligible to file an asbestos claim.