Tens of thousands of residents in Southern California were forced to evacuate after authorities warned that a massive chemical tank at an aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove could explode at any moment.
Officials in Orange County said approximately 40,000 people across several cities, including Garden Grove, Anaheim, Cypress, Stanton, Buena Park, and Westminster, were ordered to leave their homes as emergency crews battled to contain the dangerous situation involving methyl methacrylate, a highly toxic and flammable industrial chemical used in the production of plastics and resins.
The emergency began Thursday after reports of a vapor leak from chemical storage tanks at the aerospace plant operated by GKN Aerospace. Firefighters initially managed to stabilize the tanks by cooling them down, leading authorities to scale back some evacuation orders.
However, the situation escalated again Friday after officials confirmed they had lost control of a valve connected to one of the tanks containing between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of the chemical.
Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Craig Coby warned that the tank could either fail or explode, describing the situation as extremely dangerous.
Fire officials said the chemical remains highly reactive and poses severe health and fire risks. Although no injuries have been reported and the tank was not actively releasing chemicals Friday, authorities stressed that the threat of an explosion remains critical.
Health experts warned that exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause lung irritation, headaches, coughing, wheezing, and skin irritation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the substance has also been linked in studies to possible cancer risks.
Officials described the emergency as unprecedented, saying there is little historical data to predict how the situation may develop. Emergency crews continue cooling the tank using sprinkler systems and unmanned hose lines while the EPA assists with air monitoring efforts around the evacuation zone.
GKN Aerospace said it is working closely with emergency responders and local authorities to protect employees and nearby communities as the crisis continues.