National

Overheating chemicals tank in California no longer at risk of exploding, fire officials say

By Reuters Reuters
A drone picture shows water being sprayed on a tank as a chemical incident involving a failing tank of flammable liquid called methyl methacrylate, used in the aerospace industry, has forced an evacuation in the surrounding area in Garden Grove, California, U.S. May, 22, 2026. REUTERS/ Caroline Brehman
A drone picture shows water being sprayed on a tank as a chemical incident involving a failing tank of flammable liquid called methyl methacrylate, used in the aerospace industry, has forced an evacuation in the surrounding area in Garden Grove, California, U.S. May, 22, 2026. REUTERS/ Caroline Brehman Caroline Brehman Reuters

Firefighters contending with an overheating tank of hazardous chemicals in southern California on Monday said an overnight operation had eliminated the possibility of the tank exploding.

The tank of highly flammable methyl methacrylate began overheating on Thursday at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, a city of about 172,000 people roughly 20 miles (35 km) south of Los Angeles.

By Saturday, California Governor Gavin Newsom had declared a state of emergency and evacuation orders had been issued for an area home to tens of thousands of people as fears mounted that the tank could rupture and spill up to 7,000 gallons (26,500 liters) of toxic material or explode and endanger nearby tanks.

Firefighters celebrated the appearance of a crack in the tank over the weekend, which helped relieve pressure, and the tank had cooled slightly.

"That is incredibly positive news," Craig Covey, a division chief at the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a video statement.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen, editing by Deepa Babington)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

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