40,000 people under evacuation orders after a chemical tank leak in Southern California

Authorities in Southern California on Friday were racing to figure out how to prevent the explosion of a storage tank that has been leaking a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts, as some 40,000 people were under evacuation orders in the area.

A storage tank holding between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons (22,700 and 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate overheated Thursday and began venting vapors into the air at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County, the county’s fire authority said. The tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode, Garden Grove Fire Chief Craig Covey said Friday.

“This thing is going to fail, and we don’t know when,” Covey said. “We’re doing our best to figure out when or how we can prevent it.”

Officials ordered residents in Garden Grove to leave and expanded evacuations orders Friday to some residents of five other Orange County cities — Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster — after being unable to stop the leak overnight on the tank at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, authorities said.

In an update later Friday, Covey said authorities have been able to maintain the tank’s temperature, buying time to figure out how to fix it.

Garden Grove is about 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders Friday. The inland Southern California city is known for its vibrant Vietnamese community, one of the largest of any U.S. city.

Covey said crews have created containment barriers with sandbags in case there is a chemical spill from the tank to prevent the chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean.

He said the chemical is highly volatile, toxic and flammable.

Crews were initially successful and were able neutralize one of two damaged tanks but Covey said they determined Friday morning that the remaining tank was “in the biggest crisis.”

GKN Aerospace said specialized hazardous material teams are assessing the situation.

“There are no reports of injuries at this time and our priority remains the safety of our employees, responders, and the surrounding community,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We will provide verified updates as soon as more information becomes available.”

Local officials warned residents to heed the evacuation orders.

“We understand that this is frightening,” Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said. “But the evacuation orders are in place for your safety.”

Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county health officer, said if the chemical heats up, it can release a vapor that is harmful to people’s health. It can cause respiratory issues, itching and burning eyes, nausea, and headaches.