Approximately 40,000 people in Orange County, California were ordered to evacuate on Friday due to a critical situation at an aerospace facility. A storage tank containing 6-7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable chemical used in plastic manufacturing, began off-gassing and threatened to fail or explode.
Key Takeaways
Authorities in Orange County, California have ordered the evacuation of approximately 40,000 people due to a critical situation involving a chemical storage tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove. The tank contains methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable chemical used in aerospace manufacturing.
- Evacuation orders issued for residents in six cities: Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster
- Tank holds 6-7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate which could spill or explode
- Authorities have set up emergency shelters for evacuees
- No injuries reported as of Friday afternoon
The crisis originated Thursday at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove when damage to a valve on the tank prevented complete mitigation. Authorities initially responded with hazmat teams and lifted evacuation orders later that day, but the situation worsened overnight. By Friday morning, new evacuation orders had expanded to residents in six cities: Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster. According to Garden Grove police chief Amir El-Farra as reported by The Guardian, some 15% of those facing evacuation orders were refusing to leave.
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey warned at a news conference that the tank is "actively in crisis" and faces two possible outcomes: failing and spilling its contents or going into thermal runaway and exploding. "We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options: it fails, or it blows up," Covey stated as reported by multiple outlets including NPR and HuffPost.
Emergency responders have laid out sand barriers to contain the chemicals if the tank cracks. The city has established at least two shelters for evacuees according to The Guardian. As of Friday afternoon, no injuries or deaths had been reported in connection with the incident according to NPR and HuffPost.
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