Around 40,000 residents in Orange County, California, are currently under evacuation order due to a critical situation at an aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove.
On Friday, officials warned that a storage tank holding approximately 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate – a highly volatile and flammable chemical – was at risk of either rupturing or exploding.
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey described the urgency of the threat, stating:
“There are literally two options left remaining: One, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot, or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up.”
He added, “This is real, don’t mess around. I’ve been in the fire service for 32 years and it’s the most significantly dangerous event I’ve ever been a part of.”
While fire crews have worked to stabilize the tanks’ temperature using water, officials maintain that the danger remains.
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein urged cooperation, noting, “We understand that this is frightening but the evacuation orders are in place for your safety.”
No injuries have been reported and emergency teams continue to monitor the site.
