Authorities ordered the evacuation of approximately 40,000 residents across six Southern California cities following an industrial equipment failure at a GKN Aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove. A 34,000-gallon capacity storage tank holding roughly 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate is overheating and venting toxic, flammable vapors into the surrounding area.
Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Craig Covey warned the storage tank is “actively in crisis” and faces two likely outcomes: a physical rupture spilling the chemical or a thermal runaway resulting in a fire or blast. The mandatory evacuation zone covers Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster, while Disneyland remains just outside the boundary line, according to AP News coverage detailing the evacuation of 40,000 residents and the proximity of the crisis to the theme park.
The emergency began on Thursday but worsened sharply on Friday when a valve on the leaking tank broke. This failure removed the primary mitigation tool for emergency responders. Firefighters are utilizing unmanned hose lines and remote sprinklers to cool the tank from a safe distance. Crews also placed sandbags around the facility to prevent any potential chemical spill from contaminating local storm drains or reaching the nearby ocean.
As of Saturday morning, emergency personnel reported the tank’s internal temperature reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an increase from 77 degrees recorded the previous morning. Officials stated the temperature is climbing at an average rate of one degree per hour.
Orange County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong stated there is no clear historical precedent for this specific type of unfolding chemical emergency. She described the threat of a thermal runaway in this dense urban environment as a “unique situation.”