A massive 40,000-person evacuation occurred in Garden Grove, California: Evacuate Now
Published by RawNews1st
10:35 am (May 23, 2026)
Firefighters initially responded to a leak at an aerospace manufacturing company in Garden Grove on Thursday, for vapor releasing from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Officials updated Friday that there is no active gas leak or plume, but that the tank is “actively in crisis” and unable to be secured. Damage to a valve on the tank has “created additional operational challenges,” city officials said.
An “emergency hazmat incident” in California has prompted evacuations, with officials warning that a chemical tank at an aerospace facility is in “crisis” and will either fail or explode.
There are literally two options left remaining: one, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6- to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area.
Authorities have issued evacuation orders for the surrounding area impacting around 40,000 people. Over a dozen schools have temporarily closed, and those adjacent to the evacuation area are canceling outdoor activities “out of an abundance of caution,” the Garden Grove Unified School District said.
In an afternoon press briefing, Covey said there are three tanks at the facility. The tank in crisis experienced an increase in temperature and “bulged” on Thursday, he said. An agent used to neutralize the chemical has been ineffective and the chemical is unable to be moved out of the tank due to the broken valves, officials said.
There are no concerns with the other two tanks, Covey said.
Authorities initially issued an evacuation order on Thursday that were lifted when vapor conditions improved. However, evacuation orders were reissued and expanded on Friday due to what police called an “unprecedented” event.
