About 50,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Friday after a storage tank at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove continued to leak a hazardous chemical that officials said could rupture or explode.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the tank overheated on Thursday and began venting vapors at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft. No injuries or deaths were reported.
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#BREAKING : California has declared a state of emergency in Orange County after a hazardous chemical incident at an aerospace facility forced the evacuation of nearly 40,000 residents.
— upuknews (@upuknews1) May 23, 2026
Governor Gavin Newsom moved quickly to activate emergency powers, directing multiple state⊠pic.twitter.com/xCkSsvlr0Z
Plume takes centre stage
The evacuation zone began in Garden Grove and was later expanded to parts of Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster after crews were unable to stop the leak overnight.
AP reported that the tank holds between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a chemical used to make plastic parts. Schools were shut down, and several shelters remained open, including at three high schools.
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Iâm proclaiming a state of emergency in Orange County as California continues to respond to the hazardous chemical incident in Garden Grove.@Cal_OES has been mobilized for over 24 hours and state agencies are supporting impacted communities to protect public safety, and assist⊠pic.twitter.com/pOLZWkX0vD
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) May 23, 2026
California wakes to an expanding hazard
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said the tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode. âThis thing is going to fail, and we donât know when,â Covey said. âWeâre doing our best to figure out when or how we can prevent it.â Health officials said exposure to the chemical can cause respiratory problems, eye and throat irritation, headaches and nausea, though its odor can be detected before harmful levels are reached.
Fire crews have used water to cool the tank and built containment barriers to keep any spill out of storm drains and waterways. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday, opening the way for state support and the use of state-owned properties for shelters if needed. Garden Grove sits next to Anaheim, home to Disneyland, but the theme parks were not under evacuation orders. Authorities said there was no timeline for when residents could return.
