Emergency officials lifted an evacuation order for some of the people who live near a damaged tank containing a hazardous chemical in Southern California after temperatures inside the tank fell enough to eliminate the risk of a catastrophic explosion.However, there’s still a chance for a smaller blast or a fire at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems plant in Garden Grove near Los Angeles, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said during a news conference on Monday.An evaluation of the tank containing 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, which is highly flammable, showed a reduction of pressure inside the tank thanks to a crack that was discovered Sunday. About two-thirds — roughly 34,000 — of the evacuated residents can go home as a result, Covey said.“It’s not over yet. We still have work to do,” TJ McGovern, interim fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, said. “We still have to mitigate a fire and very small explosion concern, and also a spill potential.”
Officials began ordering residents of Garden Grove, to evacuate their homes on Thursday after the tank overheated, and by the weekend about 50,000 residents had been told to leave.
