Emergency responders battling a dangerous chemical tank situation in Southern California discovered Saturday that internal temperatures are climbing despite round-the-clock cooling operations, according to the incident commander.
Tens of thousands of residents in Garden Grove, a Los Angeles suburb, remain under mandatory evacuation orders as crews work to prevent a potential explosion.
The governor of California issued a state of emergency declaration for Orange County, with his office urging residents to comply with evacuation directives.
Craig Covey, division chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, reported that emergency teams re-entered the hazardous area overnight after drone surveillance on Friday indicated that water spray operations were helping control the situation.
However, Covey explained in a Saturday morning social media video that drone measurements only captured exterior vessel temperatures, not the chemical contents within. When crews accessed the tank’s internal gauge, they discovered temperatures had risen to 90 degrees Fahrenheit from the previous reading of 77 degrees when responders had withdrawn.
The internal temperature was climbing approximately one degree per hour, according to Covey. “That’s the bad news,” he stated.
Since Friday, authorities have cautioned that the container holding methyl methacrylate – a combustible chemical utilized in plastics and manufacturing – could burst and release as much as 7,000 gallons of toxic substances or detonate and threaten surrounding tanks.
Covey said Saturday that fire crews were investigating whether increased cooling water flow could slow the chemical curing reaction inside the vessel sufficiently to reduce pressure and avoid an explosion.
“Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us,” Covey declared. “Our goal is to find something and not allow that to happen.”
The emergency situation started Thursday at the GKN Aerospace plant in Garden Grove, a community of approximately 172,000 residents located roughly 30 miles south of Los Angeles. According to the company’s website, the facility focuses on manufacturing and testing aircraft windows and canopies for both commercial and military use.
GKN stated it is collaborating with “all relevant experts” to resolve the crisis.
“We sincerely apologize for the significant disruption to the many local residents and businesses who have had to be evacuated,” a company spokesperson said in a Saturday statement.
Authorities broadened evacuation zones Friday as explosion risks intensified. Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra told the Orange County Register that roughly 15% of people within the evacuation area are declining to leave.
Covey reported that crews transitioned from a “defensive” approach to an “offensive” strategy overnight with assistance from chemists on the manufacturer’s emergency response team. The objective was to neutralize a nearby 15,000-gallon tank and minimize its explosive danger if the smaller vessel fails.
“We did put people in harm’s way last night,” Covey acknowledged.
Emergency shelters have been established in Garden Grove and neighboring Anaheim and Cypress.
Health authorities expressed concern that chemical vapors could trigger serious breathing issues with extended exposure. Air quality monitoring systems had not detected vapor as of the most recent health assessment referenced by officials.
“You are safe as long as you are out of the zone that was determined to be an evacuation zone,” Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong of the Orange County Health Care Agency said Friday.
Covey added that teams were also preparing for potential spillage by identifying methods to contain and redirect the liquid into a holding area at the industrial site, preventing it from reaching storm systems, waterways or the ocean.
“We are not giving up,” Covey emphasized.
