evacuation zone – Orange County officials scaled back evacuation orders for the Garden Grove chemical tank emergency, cutting the number of people told to leave from more than 40,000 to about 16,000 after the risk of a catastrophic BLEVE passed. Crews are still working to cool
A new evacuation map went out in Orange County as the alarm that drove tens of thousands of people to flee began to loosen. Authorities said the most feared scenario for the Garden Grove chemical tank emergency has passed. shrinking the evacuation zone even as crews continue trying to cool and stabilize a tank holding thousands of gallons of methyl methacrylate.
As of 6 p.m. local time on Monday, the number of evacuation orders was cut from more than 40,000 to about 16,000. The reduction came after officials determined the risk of a “catastrophic” explosion had eased. with the biggest danger—a potential “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. ” or BLEVE—said to have been averted.
Orange County’s interim fire chief. TJ McGovern. had earlier described a BLEVE as “the worst-case catastrophic event.” In the latest update. the Orange County Fire Authority released a map showing the newly defined area and urged residents to keep following law enforcement instructions and not enter the area that remains newly evacuated.
Emergency crews have been working to cool and stabilize the chemical tank because the substance inside is highly flammable and widely used in plastics and aerospace production. Officials said the tank’s internal temperature had risen to at least 100 degrees—the maximum reading on the thermometer—raising fears that the system could slip into a “thermal runaway” reaction. one that could lead to an explosion.
On Sunday, officials said the tank was beginning to cool, calling the change “incredibly positive news.” At a later news conference, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said the catastrophic threat was gone, but warned that “there is still a chance of a smaller blast or a fire.”
That mix—less catastrophe, but not zero danger—now defines the response. The evacuation orders have been reduced. yet the warning remains firm: the situation is improving. and crews are still working on the tank. but residents in the affected area are being asked to stay out of the newly evacuated zone and continue to listen to law enforcement.
Orange County Garden Grove evacuation chemical tank methyl methacrylate BLEVE thermal runaway OCFA fire chief TJ McGovern Craig Covey emergency update