MAY 25, 2026

Southern California officials work to prevent explosion from overheated chemical tank in Garden Grove

A chemical tank at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems in Garden Grove, California began overheating Thursday and venting vapors, prompting the evacuation of roughly 50,000 residents. A crack discovered in the tank over the weekend may be relieving internal pressure, reducing the risk of a catastrophic explosion, fire officials said. No injuries have been reported and continuous atmospheric monitoring has confirmed no chemicals are escaping the tank.

The tank at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which manufactures parts for commercial and military aircraft, holds between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable chemical used to make plastic parts. The tank began overheating Thursday and was venting vapors, setting off a multi-day emergency response in Garden Grove, a city of approximately 170,000 residents located about 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

Orange County Fire Authority interim chief TJ McGovern said Sunday that crews planned "an all-night mission" to determine whether pressure had been sufficiently relieved. The agency posted on X that there was one known crack in the tank, disputing reports of multiple cracks, and stated that atmospheric monitoring confirmed no chemicals were escaping. "We are not there yet," McGovern said, urging residents to remain outside the evacuation zone.

Firefighters repeatedly sprayed the tank with water to cool it. The tank's interior reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday, an increase of 10 degrees since Saturday, according to Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg. Drones monitored temperatures at 10-minute intervals, and containment barriers were installed to keep any potential spill from reaching storm drains, nearby creeks, or the ocean, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said.