While Southern California fire officials said Monday, May 24, that the threat of the worst-case scenario stemming from a damaged chemical tank at a Garden Grove aerospace manufacturing facility has passed, evacuations are still in place amid ongoing efforts to mitigate the incident.
Since late last week, officials have been worried that a compromised 34,000-gallon chemical tank at GKN Aerospace could become overpressurized, resulting in a devastating blast that would fill the air with the hazardous material in a phenomenon known as a “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion,” or BLEVE. The looming threat led to the evacuation of more than 40,000 residents from their homes.
However, by Monday, May 25, that threat had been “eliminated,” Craig Covey, a commander with the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a Monday morning update.
“We did it,” Covey said at a news conference Monday evening. “I was handed an incident that had two options: a spill or an explosion. As the chief said, it was unacceptable.”
After a large portion of evacuation orders were lifted, about 65% of evacuated residents were able to return home Monday evening, but an additional 16,000 residents remained displaced.
“It’s not over yet, and I want to reemphasize that it’s not over yet,” Orange County Fire Authority Interim Fire Chief TJ McGovern said at the news conference. “We still have work to do.”
Greg Barton, a public information officer with the Orange County Fire Authority, said firefighters worked Monday night to neutralize the adjacent tanks and monitor “the temperature on the main involved tank.”
“I’m pleased to report that the temperature is holding at 92 degrees,” Barton said in a Tuesday morning update on X. “Our efforts today are also focused on the same: continuing to neutralize the adjacent tanks and monitor that temperature and ensure it holds at 92 degrees.”
In a statement on Tuesday, May 26, a GKN Aerospace spokesperson said the company is continuing to work with all relevant agencies to remedy the situation.
“We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and community,” the spokesperson said.
Here’s what to know about the ongoing Garden Grove chemical crisis
What officials say happened with Garden Grove chemical crisis
Firefighters responded to GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove “for a vapor release from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used in plastics and manufacturing,” the Orange County Fire Authority said in a post on X on Thursday, May 21.
An evacuation order for an area within the county was issued shortly after. The evacuation area continued to grow as firefighters worked to mitigate the situation.
Officials said early in the crisis that two scenarios were likely to unfold: either the tank would fail and leak or it would explode.
Since Thursday, McGovern said officials have been working to stabilize the tank. In describing firefighters’ efforts, Covey used the metaphor of boiling an egg.
“You have to control that temperature to get that egg done right and not crack the shell,” Covey said.
Overnight Saturday, firefighters discovered a possible crack in the tank that, at the time, emergency responders said could change their strategy.
After further assessment, officials confirmed “the shell did crack,” Covey said.
“That was our huge moment in this incident that we were able to capitalize on and take control of it and start mitigating it and go what we would call offensive,” Covey said.
The tank’s temperature decreased following the discovery of the crack after trending upwards for days, according to Covey.
“That’s what we were looking for,” Covey said. “That was that moment where we knew we were starting to get a hold of this thing. The tank was stabilizing.”
As of Monday evening, Covey said officials were “confident that that tank released its pressure.”
McGovern said fire officials are now working on two things: First, to “mitigate a fire and very small explosion concern,” and second, to manage any spill potential.
‘No exceedances detected’ in air, EPA says
Since the incident began, the Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring the air throughout the evacuation zone and the community, according to the agency’s on-scene coordinator, Chris Myers.
“All of the air monitoring instrumentation that we’ve been operating has been operating 24-hours a day, around the clock, and there have been no exceedances detected throughout the duration of the incident,” Myers said.
The agency will continue air monitoring throughout the cleanup process as well, he said.
Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, a county health officer with the Orange County Health Care Agency, assured those residents who returned home that they “can feel safe.”
“There was no contamination. There were no fumes. There were no vapors that came from this incident. There was no leak,” Chinsio-Kwong said. “You should feel comfortable going home.”
She urged those who are still under evacuation orders to “please stay out of that zone.”
“We’re trying to protect you. We’re trying to make sure that no one is in the zone where there’s still potential for risk,” Chinsio-Kwong said.
Evacuated residents urged to heed evacuation orders
Officials shared a new map on Monday evening highlighting the reduced evacuation zone.
“The new borders will consist of Orangewood Avenue to the north, Dale Street to the east, Knot Street to the west, and Garden Grove Boulevard to the south,” Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said. “Garden Grove Boulevard will restore flows of traffic in both the east and westbound directions.”
In addition, all on- and off-ramps to the 22 Freeway were opened, according to El-Farra.
El-Farra said police would be “highly visible” in Garden Grove neighborhoods as residents return home.
“For those who remain impacted, I know this may be frustrating. That number is approximately 16,000,” El-Farra said. “Please understand that we are doing this for your safety, and we will continue to work diligently, so you will be able to return home hopefully soon.”
The following evacuation shelters were open to residents as of the afternoon of Tuesday, May 26:
Residents can check Garden Grove’s website for the most up-to-date information about the evacuation shelters, including if they’ve met capacity.
‘Not out of the woods yet,’ officials say
Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen urged residents that the Garden Grove incident “will be thoroughly investigated.”
“As your county supervisor, the county will make sure to get everyone the help that they need to bring their lives back to normal,” Nguyen said. “We are not out of the woods yet, but we are headed in the right direction, and we will continue to be with you until this situation comes to a close.”
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein echoed the sentiment, saying city officials recognized that “recovery does not end when evacuation areas are reduced or when residents begin to return home.”
“The city remains committed to understanding what happened, supporting those impacted, and working with the appropriate agencies to ensure this incident is fully reviewed,” Klopfenstein said.
Klopfenstein added that the city council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, would be canceled. Instead, the city will hold a special meeting at the Garden Grove Community Meeting Center starting at 5:30 p.m., “focused on the incident, the city’s response, and the latest information available.”
“We invite the community to attend, ask questions, and stay engaged,” Klopfenstein said. “Garden Grove will get through this together.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Not out of the woods yet,’ officials say of Garden Grove chemical crisis
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
