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By Brian Hews
Publisher | Follow X
May 24, 2025
Authorities warn damaged tank at GKN Aerospace still poses serious explosion and spill risks as evacuation frustrations grow among residents.
Emergency crews continued working through the weekend to prevent a potentially catastrophic explosion at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove as thousands of evacuated residents grew increasingly frustrated waiting to return home.
Orange County fire officials said teams were still focused on keeping the damaged chemical tank cool in hopes of preventing either a massive chemical spill or an explosion involving volatile methyl methacrylate stored at the aerospace plant.
Authorities described the operation as extraordinarily difficult, saying hazardous materials experts from across California and the nation had been brought in to help develop unconventional solutions for stabilizing the compromised tank.
Officials said the crisis remains unpredictable because crews cannot safely access the tank due to pressure, heat and concerns over a possible “thermal runaway” event.
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein urged residents still ignoring mandatory evacuation orders to leave immediately.
“This is a very dangerous situation,” Klopfenstein said Saturday, warning residents remaining inside evacuation zones were putting themselves at serious risk.
Meanwhile, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced it has opened an anonymous tip hotline and online reporting portal connected to the chemical emergency investigation.
Authorities also released a projected blast zone map showing the potential impact area if the tank explodes.
The map indicates severe damage could occur within roughly 1,100 feet of the facility, while moderate and light damage zones extend outward into nearby residential neighborhoods surrounding Western Avenue, Chapman Avenue and Lampson Avenue.
Homes near Belgrave Avenue, Bently Avenue, Devonwood Avenue and portions of the Wakeham Elementary School area appear inside projected damage zones released by emergency officials.
Despite the ongoing danger, emergency officials said Saturday evening that air monitoring had not detected dangerous contaminants outside the immediate incident area.
Mandatory evacuation orders affecting roughly 40,000 residents remain in place while crews continue trying to stabilize the tank and prevent disaster.
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