Thousands of residents in Southern California were under evacuation orders Friday as a massive chemical tank at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove is set to either fail or explode, with officials warning that either option would release “very bad chemicals” into the surrounding area.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) said a 34,000-gallon storage tank containing methyl methacrylate—a highly flammable chemical used in plastics—began leaking Thursday afternoon, sending toxic vapors into the air and prompting a major hazmat response. Evacuation zones were mapped out across a wide section of the city, including areas north of Garden Grove Boulevard, south of Orangewood Avenue, and between major streets such as Springdale Avenue and Dale Street, forcing thousands to leave their homes.
The situation worsened on Friday, prompting public safety officials to issue an urgent update regarding the situation
“This morning we have determined that the tank that is in the biggest crisis is, in fact, unable to be secured and mitigated in the current information we are getting from the manufacturers,” OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said in the update video posted on X. “There are literally two options left remaining: One, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area. Or two: the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks around it that have chemicals in them as well.”
People were urged to follow all evacuation orders.
This is a breaking story. Updates to follow.
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