Garden Grove Evacuations Hit 40K

Orange County fire officials ordered evacuations across parts of Garden Grove and nearby cities after a chemical tank at a GKN Aerospace facility began venting vapors on Thursday afternoon. The incident started around 3:30 p.m. at 12122 Western Ave., where a 34,000-gallon storage tank holding methyl methacrylate overheated, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. By Saturday, officials said roughly 40,000 residents remained under evacuation orders, while other reports and internal briefings cited a wider figure of about 50,000 as the zone expanded. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on May 23, saying the state was mobilizing resources to support the response. ### Why did a single tank trigger evacuations across several cities? Craig Covey, a division chief with the Orange County Fire Authority, said the tank could no longer be secured or mitigated after a faulty valve blocked crews from off-loading the chemical or adding stabilizer. He said responders were left with two scenarios: the tank could fail and spill about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, or it could enter thermal runaway and explode. (foxla.com) Methyl methacrylate is a toxic, highly flammable industrial chemical used to make acrylic plastics, according to local officials and multiple news reports citing the fire authority. The risk was not limited to fumes from the compromised tank. Covey said an explosion could affect nearby tanks that also held fuel or chemicals. ### Where were people told to leave? (foxla.com) The City of Garden Grove posted an emergency evacuation map covering an area south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street, west of Dale Street and north of Trask Avenue. News coverage and official updates said the impact extended beyond Garden Grove into parts of Westminster, Stanton, Anaheim and other nearby communities as the response widened. (foxla.com) ABC News reported that the evacuation area covered roughly 10 square miles and included schools, hospitals, nursing homes, fire and law enforcement stations, and other critical infrastructure. Anaheim’s city government said incident managers were still exploring options to diffuse the situation and that the risk of explosion remained possible, even as no significant chemical release had been detected in the air at that point. (ggcity.org) ### What did crews do once the tank kept heating up? Orange County fire officials said cooling efforts initially appeared to help, based on outside drone readings, but responders who re-entered the site overnight found the tank’s internal temperature had risen from 77 degrees to 90 degrees. That update, posted Saturday through the Orange County Department of Education newsroom, underscored why evacuation orders stayed in place through the Memorial Day weekend. (abcnews.com) Containment work shifted toward limiting damage if the tank failed. Officials said crews built barriers around the site to keep any liquid runoff from reaching storm drains, river channels or the ocean. Covey said responders were working around the clock with hazardous-materials specialists and outside experts. ### Which schools and public services were disrupted? (newsroom.ocde.us) Garden Grove Unified School District said several campuses were closed on May 22 at the direction of law enforcement and emergency officials. ABC7 listed multiple affected schools, including Pacifica High School, Rancho Alamitos High School, Bell Intermediate School and several elementary campuses. The Orange County Department of Education said the status of campuses reopening after the Memorial Day holiday remained uncertain as of Saturday morning. (foxla.com) The Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center at 13641 Deodara Drive was being used as an emergency evacuation center, according to USA Today’s live updates. State officials said Newsom’s emergency proclamation also made state-owned properties and fairgrounds available for shelter if needed. (ggusd.us) ### What should residents watch next? Gavin Newsom’s May 23 emergency proclamation directed Cal OES and other state agencies to support Orange County and local jurisdictions as the response continued. The City of Garden Grove told residents to use its online address checker and evacuation map to confirm whether they were inside the mandatory zone. (usatoday.com) Orange County education officials said the latest school information would come from local districts and emergency agencies, while the city and the Orange County Fire Authority remained the main public sources for evacuation changes. As of Saturday, officials had not given a timeline for when residents could return. (newsroom.ocde.us) (gov.ca.gov)