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By Brian Hews
Publisher | Follow X
May 26, 2026
All evacuation orders are being lifted for residents impacted by the chemical tank crisis in Garden Grove, authorities say.
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Officials said Monday that the danger of a catastrophic explosion at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove has significantly diminished after crews successfully cooled a damaged chemical tank that forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes for several days.
The emergency centered around a tank containing a toxic chemical that developed a crack and began overheating, creating fears of a possible BLEVE — a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion — one of the most dangerous industrial fire scenarios.
At the height of the crisis, roughly 50,000 Orange County residents were evacuated. By Monday evening, officials had reduced the evacuation zone, leaving about 16,000 residents still impacted.
Firefighters spent days conducting a delicate cooling operation, including removing insulation from the tank to allow water streams to cool the container more effectively. Orange County Fire Authority officials later announced the threat of a catastrophic BLEVE was “off the table” after crews confirmed the tank’s temperature was steadily decreasing.
Authorities cautioned the emergency is not completely over, warning there remains a possibility of a smaller explosion, chemical leak, or fire.
On Tuesday, crews began scaling back water flow to determine whether the tank had stabilized on its own. Later aerial footage showed firefighters walking around and climbing on top of the tank with no active water streams visible.
Officials continue urging residents to stay away from the remaining evacuation area, although they said areas outside the zone are considered safe for normal daily activity.
No injuries have been reported.
The cause of the overheating tank remains under investigation.
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