Chemical leak triggers evacuation for 40,000 people with tank set to explode

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWater is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026 (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County )Approximately 40,000 residents across Orange County, California, are under evacuation orders due to fears that a compromised industrial tank containing 7,000 gallons of highly flammable and toxic methyl methacrylate would spill or explode.The crisis began Thursday afternoon at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove when a tank overheated and started venting vapors, with officials noting it appeared to bulge, indicating dangerous overheating and potential rupture.First responders successfully neutralized one at-risk tank, and by Friday afternoon, the leak from the primary compromised tank had stopped, but a faulty valve meant the remaining tank still posed an emergency risk.Officials from the Orange County Fire Authority stated that a spill, though undesirable, would be the "best-case scenario" compared to an explosion, which could transform chemicals and send shrapnel, complicating hazards.Crews are currently spraying the tank with water to reduce its temperature and have installed sand barriers to contain any potential spill, while Garden Grove police reported a 15 percent refusal rate among residents asked to evacuate.In fullToxic explosion feared at California chemical plant as 40,000 nearby residents are evacuatedThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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