• California chemical tank threat not over yet for 16,000 people still under evacuation orders
    Trending

    California chemical tank threat not over yet for 16,000 people still under evacuation orders

    May 27, 2026 - By 

    Exposure to methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable chemical used to make plastics, can cause serious respiratory and neurological problems. GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — About 16,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Southern California as an overheated chemical tank still poses a risk to homes closest to the site, and officials Tuesday gave no word on when they might be able to return home. The crisis forced 50,000 people to evacuate in and around the Orange County city of Garden Grove last week. A crack that formed by chance on the tank relieved pressure and helped avert a catastrophic explosion, allowing…

  • Threat of catastrophic explosion from damaged chemical tank in California is gone, officials say
    Trending

    Threat of catastrophic explosion from damaged chemical tank in California is gone, officials say

    May 25, 2026 - By 

    No injuries have been reported, but more than 50,000 residents were under an evacuation order over the Memorial Day weekend. GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — The risk of a catastrophic explosion of a damaged chemical tank in Southern California has been eliminated following a close overnight inspection that confirmed a crack in the tank relieved pressure and cooled the chemical, authorities said Monday. Officials said crews conducted tank temperature checks at night to reduce risks to firefighters, avoiding daytime operations when heat from the tank made conditions around it most dangerous. The overnight mission allowed crews to verify the crack and…

  • Crack found in damaged chemical tank in California could change response strategy
    Trending

    Crack found in damaged chemical tank in California could change response strategy

    May 25, 2026 - By 

    Fire crews say they may have found a crack in the damaged industrial tank in California. It could change their entire strategy, as 50,000 residents remain evacuated. GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Crews say they may have found a crack in the damaged industrial tank at an aerospace facility in Orange County, California. The tank, located at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, contains thousands of gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic chemical used to make plastics. It overheated last week and began leaking vapors into the air, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate. Officials fear the tank…

  • Chemical tank in California could explode any moment as 40,000 residents remain evacuated
    Trending

    Chemical tank in California could explode any moment as 40,000 residents remain evacuated

    May 24, 2026 - By 

    Crews are racing to cool a pressurized tank holding hazardous chemicals in Orange County as evacuation orders stretch into Memorial Day weekend. GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Authorities braced for the possibility that a damaged chemical tank in Southern California could leak or explode as an evacuation order continued into the Memorial Day weekend for 40,000 residents with no timeline on when they can return. No injuries were reported after the pressurized tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors at a company site in Garden Grove, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Orange County…