Over 40K Evacuated Over Chemical Tank in California
Officials said the overheated tank could rupture or explode, and about 40,000 residents were ordered out as crews worked to cool it.
- On Thursday, May 21, 2026, a methyl methacrylate leak at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove prompted emergency officials to evacuate approximately 40,000 residents after the chemical overheated within a storage tank, creating risks of catastrophic spill or explosion.
- Broken, "gummed up" valves prevented crews from draining the tank, forcing Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Craig Covey to implement emergency cooling measures while bracing for rupture or thermal-runaway explosion.
- Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey reported Saturday that internal tank temperatures climbed to 90°F, while Orange County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong warned inhaling vapors from the 7,000 gallons can cause severe respiratory distress.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday to mobilize state resources and expand shelter availability as officials confirmed schools and facilities remain closed with no timeline for residents to return.
- Working 24 hours a day, emergency crews continue stabilizing the facility using containment barriers and thermal-monitoring drones while officials maintain the large exclusion zone to ensure community safety during the ongoing crisis.
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554 Articles
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, asked Sunday for the declaration of a state of emergency regarding a leak in a chemical tank, which has been threatening to explode since Friday in the southern suburbs of Los Angeles. ...
Hanford Sentinel
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Gavin Newsom Declares State of Emergency in Orange County
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County in response to an ongoing chemical incident at an aerospace facility. Experts are warning that a 34,000-gallon chemical tank, which has been overheating since Thursday, could explode with disastrous results to the region. Authorities say the tank is on a path to inevitable failure and will either spill thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals everywhere or, worse yet,…
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