Authorities in Orange County, California, have ordered the evacuation of 40,000 residents due to fears of a chemical leak that could result in a spill or explosion. The incident began on Thursday at a facility owned by GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where a storage tank containing methyl methacrylate started off-gassing and showed signs of failure. This highly flammable chemical is commonly used in the production of resins and plastics.
Local authorities initially responded with a hazmat team on Thursday, ordering nearby residents to evacuate. Although the order was lifted later that day, the situation worsened due to damage to a valve on the tank, which created additional operational challenges and prevented complete mitigation, according to Garden Grove officials. By Friday, new evacuation orders had expanded to residents across six cities.
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey stated at a news conference, "We have a tank that is actively in crisis. There are literally two options left remaining. One: the tank fails and spills a total of about 6-7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot. Or two: the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the surrounding tanks that contain fuel or other chemicals." Covey emphasized that the tank is expected to fail, but the exact timing remains unknown, and crews are working to determine how to prevent a disaster.
Emergency crews have set up containment barriers using sandbags to prevent any chemical spill from reaching storm drains, creeks, or the nearby ocean. Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county health officer, warned that if the chemical heats up, it could release harmful vapors causing respiratory issues, eye and skin irritation, nausea, and headaches.
Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra reported that approximately 15% of those under evacuation orders are refusing to leave, according to the Orange County Register. The city has opened at least two shelters for evacuees. Garden Grove is located about 38 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland's two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders on Friday.
The evacuation orders affect residents in five other Orange County cities: Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster. Covey urged residents to take the order seriously, stating, "We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options: it fails or it blows up. Please follow our requests and orders for evacuations." GKN Aerospace, the facility owner, is a division of a British corporation that manufactures airplane engines and other aircraft components.
