BLEVE threat – Orange County Fire Authority officials say the risk of a catastrophic BLEVE explosion from a ruptured tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove was eliminated Monday. But tens of thousands of residents remain under evacuation orders as crews continue to mitigate c
When Jessica Doughty looks toward her Stanton home, she said she can’t see an end date—only the hours that keep stretching past the evacuation line.
“The threat of a massive explosion from a ruptured tank in Garden Grove was eliminated Monday. ” officials said. but the relief didn’t translate into an immediate return for thousands of families. As of Monday afternoon. an estimated 50. 000 residents remained under an evacuation order as the crisis at the GKN Aerospace facility spilled into its fourth day.
Doughty, 31, spoke Monday three days after she and her fiancée were ordered to leave. She’s staying at a Red Cross shelter in Anaheim.
“They have no idea when we’re gonna go home,” she said. “We’re sitting here in the unknown … I just want to go home. I miss my bed.”
Orange County officials said they were evaluating whether it was safe to reduce the evacuation zone to allow some displaced residents to return. Fire officials still warned the explosion risk hasn’t vanished.
Fire authority interim chief TJ McGovern said firefighters gained confidence the pressurized tank would not experience a “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion,” known as a BLEVE.
“The threat of a BLEVE has been eliminated,” McGovern said, adding, “We still have threats that we are mitigating.”
Even as crews moved on from the worst-case scenario. they were not finished with the chemical hazard that set off the emergency. By late Monday, Capt. Wayhowe Huang said firefighters remained concerned the heat released by the chemical could still lead to a “less forceful explosion. ” and that the ongoing risk is why evacuation orders are still in place.
“There’s still the worry of a thermal eruption of the tank,” Huang said. “Now the footprint of that would be smaller. … That threat is why we’re still holding those evacuation orders in place.”
The chemical at the center of the response is methyl methacrylate. also known as MMA. a flammable liquid used in plastic production. If inhaled at high levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says fumes can aggravate lungs, causing coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. The agency adds it can also cause nausea, dizziness, and skin irritation.
Firefighters’ progress came after two overnight reconnaissance missions into the 15-acre manufacturing complex on the 12000 block of Western Avenue in Garden Grove. Crews worked with technicians from GKN Aerospace.
Late Saturday, firefighters entered the facility for a visual examination of a cracked container that officials believed was holding 7,000 liquid gallons of methyl methacrylate. The aim, McGovern said, was to assess the tank’s integrity.
Hazardous materials technicians confirmed a single crack that night. The compromised container was one of three large tanks at the site containing the chemical. During the operation, an alarm sounded, forcing a retreat, McGovern said during Monday’s briefing.
“Nonetheless, ‘we got good intel’ that allowed planning for the second night’s mission,” McGovern said.
Late Sunday. crews returned and removed some of the tank’s insulation to get a more accurate reading of the temperature inside. GKN said in a statement that the team “safely and successfully removed external insulation material from the tank in order to help advance efforts to cool its contents. ” describing the effort as following “several days of careful monitoring and work to stabilize the tank.”.
With the new information, McGovern said, the group determined temperatures had dropped and pressure was no longer building inside.
State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Orange) said in a statement the outcome came from the “courageous work of firefighters who were able to get on top of the tank and remove the shroud,” which allowed emergency crews to better cool the contents.
Orange County Fire Authority officials said drones deployed earlier were unable to read gauges showing internal temperatures. Capt. Huang explained Monday that an internal temperature sensor can only be read “in person.”
“It’s like poison gas is bringing people together. That’s a good story, right?” said Edward Cho, 37, a cook who has been living with his 72-year-old mother, a cancer patient.
The pair were camped out in the basketball gymnasium at Savanna High School in Anaheim. Cho said people have been looking out for each other.
“They’ve been doing a really good job — the Red Cross really came through,” Cho said. “People are taking care of each other.”
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, according to Newsom’s office.
Separately, President Trump authorized federal disaster assistance to help cover the costs of coordinating the response effort. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the state was “grateful for the federal government approving our request and helping strengthen the resources already on the ground to help this community recover safely.”.
Newsom’s office said the Red Cross has opened seven emergency shelters for people affected by the mandatory evacuations. The organization said it has provided thousands of meals and snacks, with more than 100 Red Cross disaster workers supporting operations.
At GKN’s Garden Grove facility. automated sprinklers have been running since the problem was detected on Thursday. and an additional unmanned hose has also been spraying down the tank. GKN said it is continuing to work with the Orange County Fire Authority, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal, state, and local agencies to mitigate the ongoing risk of a leak.
In its statement, GKN apologized for the disruption and said its priority remains the safe resolution of the incident so residents can return “as quickly as possible.” The company also said it was “extremely grateful” for the efforts of the county, state, and federal officials.
The legal and investigative timeline has moved alongside the fire response. Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer opened a criminal investigation into the potential disaster. Kimberly Edds. director of public affairs for Spitzer’s office. said legal “hold” letters were sent to representatives of GKN Aerospace demanding the company retain records that could be relevant to the investigation.
The crisis began Thursday, when one of the tanks began experiencing an increase in temperature, triggering temporary evacuations. At one point, the tank began to bulge, prompting fears among emergency workers of a potential BLEVE.
GKN Aerospace, based in Britain, makes landing gears, jet engines, and other materials for commercial and military aircraft at the Garden Grove facility.
Records show the company’s Garden Grove facility has undergone four inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 2018, resulting in 10 violations.
At Monday’s command center, Huang said firefighters’ most urgent breakthrough came after the tank’s heat readings rose steadily over the weekend, reaching 100 degrees, and after crews were able to strip the outer casing of the tank to allow for better cooling.
The threat of a BLEVE is now described as eliminated—but the evacuation lines remain. For residents like Doughty, the difference between “eliminated” and “when we go home” is still measured in days, and in the ache of waiting.
“They have no idea when we’re gonna go home,” she said.
(Deputy managing editor Shelby Grad and staff writers Lisa Boone and Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report.)
Garden Grove GKN Aerospace BLEVE methyl methacrylate MMA evacuation Orange County Fire Authority Red Cross Gavin Newsom Todd Spitzer criminal investigation