A massive tank leaking toxic chemicals into the sky over Garden Grove, California is now at risk of exploding, officials warned in a terrifying update to the ongoing situation.
The Orange County Fire Authority on Friday gave a briefing on the dangerous leak, which has forced mass evacuations in the area since it started on Thursday.
A massive tank leaking toxic chemicals into the sky over Garden Grove is now at risk of exploding, officials warned. Anadolu via Getty Images
The Orange County Fire Authority on Friday gave a briefing on the dangerous leak, which has forced mass evacuations in the area since it started on Thursday. Anadolu via Getty Images
Firefighters staging near the danger zone. KTLA“We have a tank that is actively in crisis, for lack of a better word,” OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said in the announcement.
“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,” he continued.
“Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks around them that have chemicals in them as well.”
The leak at the GKN Aerospace plant, located at Western and Lampson avenues, led to evacuation orders affecting thousands of nearby residents and several schools, ABC 7 reported.
The Orange County Fire Authority on Friday gave an update on the dangerous leak, which forced mass evacuations in the area a day earlier. KTLAOn Thursday, firefighters responded to a vapor release from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical is used in plastics and manufacturing, the OCFA said.
The tank’s temperature had increased, activating a relief valve designed to safely release vapors, officials said.
After initially lifting the evacuation orders, authorities reissued them on Friday covering the area north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street Avenue and west of Dale Street, OCFA said.
The evacuation zone seen in the yellow square — the blue dot is an open evacuation center. City of Golden GroveThe Garden Grove Unified School District announced that more than a dozen area schools were closed until further notice.
The chaos even forced the shutdown of multiple State Route 22 off-ramps, with eastbound and westbound exits at Beach Boulevard, Knott Avenue and Valley View Street closed until further notice, authorities said.
Rep. Derek Tran called the chemicals “volatile and flammable” in a statement, saying he was in contact with FEMA and EPA officials “to urge them to provide any available federal assistance.”
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