The threat of a massive explosion from a ruptured tank in Garden Grove ended Monday, but Orange County Fire Authority officials did not allow thousands of displaced residents to return home due to fears of toxic chemicals being released.
By Monday afternoon, an estimated 50,000 residents were placed under evacuation orders as the crisis at the facility, GKN Aerospace, stretched into a fourth day.
“They have no idea when we’re going to go home,” Jessica Doughty, 31, said Monday, three days after she and her fiancee were ordered to leave their Stanton home.
“We’re sitting here in the unknown… I just want to go home. I miss my bed,” said Doughty, who was staying at a Red Cross shelter in Anaheim.
Orange County officials said they were evaluating whether it was safe to lower the evacuation zone to allow some displaced residents to go home.
Fire officials said concerns remain that an explosion is still possible at the aerospace plant in Garden Grove.
Earlier in the day, there was good news for staff who were working round the clock to control the situation. Orange County Fire Authority officials announced that they were no longer worried about a worst-case scenario of a catastrophic explosion resulting from a tank rupture, releasing toxic chemicals over a wide area.
Fire Authority interim chief TJ McGovern said firefighters were confident the pressurized tank would not experience a “boiling fluid expanding vapor explosion” or BLEVE.
McGovern said, “The threat of BLEVE has been eliminated,” but added: “We still have threats that we are mitigating.”
Separately, President Trump authorized federal disaster assistance to help cover the costs of coordinating response efforts.
“We are grateful for the federal government approving our request and helping us strengthen the resources already on the ground to help this community recover safely,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
Newsom’s office said more than 785 first responders and other emergency personnel, including firefighters, hazardous materials experts, public health officials and environmental scientists, have been mobilized since Friday.
Firefighters were able to get a better handle on the situation after two overnight reconnaissance missions at the 15-acre manufacturing complex on the 12000 block of Western Avenue in Garden Grove.
Firefighters and hazardous materials experts worked closely with GKN Aerospace technicians.
Late Saturday night, crews entered the facility to visually investigate the broken container, which officials believed contained 7,000 liquid gallons of methyl methacrylate, a chemical routinely used to make plastics.
The goal was to assess the integrity of the tank, McGovern said.
Hazardous materials technicians were able to confirm not a single crack that night. The compromised container was one of three large tanks at the site containing the chemical.
McGovern said during Monday’s briefing that while crews were on the ground, an alarm went off, forcing them to retreat.
Nonetheless, McGovern said, “we got good information” that made it possible to plan a second night mission.
Late Sunday night, workers returned and were able to remove some of the tank’s insulation to get a more accurate reading of the temperature inside.
“The team safely and successfully removed the external insulation material from the tank to aid efforts to cool its contents,” GKN said in a statement. “This operation followed several days of careful monitoring and work to stabilize the tank.”
With the new information, the group was able to determine that the temperature had dropped and the pressure inside was not building, McGovern said.
In a statement, State Senator Tom Umberg (D-Orange) attributed “the courageous work of firefighters who were able to climb over the tank and remove the shroud,” which allowed emergency crews to better cool the contents.
Previously deployed drones were unable to read gauges showing internal temperatures.
“There’s an internal temperature sensor, and the only way to read it is in person,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Weihou Huang told The Times outside a command center at Los Alamitos Race Course on Monday near the perimeter of the evacuation zone.
“Of course it was a risky operation because of the possibility of an explosion,” Huang said.
Temperature readings continued to rise over the weekend, reaching 100 degrees. Huang said the breakthrough came when firefighters were able to remove the outer shell of the tank to allow better cooling.
As of late Monday, firefighters were still concerned that the heat released by the chemical could still cause a “less vigorous explosion,” Huang said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the chemical known as MMA is a flammable liquid that is widely used in the production of plastics. If inhaled at high levels, the smoke can damage a person’s lungs, causing coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. It may also cause nausea, dizziness and skin irritation.
“There is still a concern about thermal explosion of the tank,” Huang said. “Now it will be smaller in scope. … That’s the danger that we’re still enforcing those evacuation orders.”
Automated sprinklers have been running at the facility since the problem was discovered Thursday, and an additional unmanned hose is also spraying the tank.
GKN Aerospace, based in Britain, manufactures landing gear, jet engines and other components for commercial and military aircraft at its Garden Grove facility.
“We are continuing to work around the clock with OCFA, EPA, and all relevant federal, state and local agencies to mitigate the ongoing risk of a spill,” GKN said.
“We apologize for the disruption this incident is causing and our priority remains a safe resolution so residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible,” the company said. The company said it was “extremely grateful” for the efforts of county, state and federal officials.
Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer has launched a criminal investigation into the possible disaster. Kimberly Eads, director of public affairs for Spitzer’s office, said legal “hold” letters have been sent to representatives of GKN Aerospace, demanding the company retain its records that may be relevant to the investigation.
The crisis began on Thursday, when a tank began experiencing a rise in temperature, triggering a temporary evacuation.
At one point, the tank began to bulge, causing emergency personnel to fear a possible BLEVE.
Public records show the company’s Garden Grove facility has been inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration four times since 2018, resulting in 10 violations.
The Red Cross has opened seven emergency shelters for people affected by the mandatory evacuation. The organization said thousands of meals and snacks have been provided. These operations have been supported by more than 100 Red Cross disaster workers.
“They’re doing really good work — the Red Cross really came out,” said cook Edward Cho, 37, who is living with his 72-year-old mother, a cancer patient.
The pair were camping in the basketball gymnasium at Savannah High School in Anaheim.
“People are taking care of each other,” Cho said. “It’s like poison gas is bringing people together. It’s a good story, isn’t it?”
Deputy Managing Editor Shelby Grad And STAFF writers Lisa Boone and Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report.
