GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- There is no longer a threat of explosion, fire or chemical leak for a damaged tank at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, the Orange County Fire Authority announced on Tuesday night.
All evacuation orders were officially lifted at 7:30 p.m., allowing the final 16,000 evacuated Orange County residents to return home. Initially, 50,000 residents were evacuated from their homes last week.
A tank carrying 6,500 gallons of the highly toxic chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA) became unstable last week, causing the tank to heat up uncontrollably. For a few days, officials said the tank would either explode or spill out, and either outcome was inevitable.
Eventually, the tank cracked, allowing the pressure to release and eliminating the threat of a BLEVE, which stands for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.
Then, crews worked a risky mission to confirm that the pressure had been released and to remove weather insulation from the outside of the tank to help the water be more efficient at cooling the temperature down.
Still, a threat remained for a fire or a small explosion. Firefighters continued to try to get the tank to stabilize and were eventually able to stop dousing it with water. On Tuesday afternoon, crews were seen freely walking around the tank and climbing on top of it.
By Tuesday night, OCFA declared that there was no longer a risk to surrounding residents and all evacuation orders were lifted. No injuries were reported.
The investigation into what caused the material in the tank to overheat is ongoing. Residents have already filed a class action lawsuit against GKN Aerospace.
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About 50,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the ongoing chemical tank crisis in Garden Grove.
Here is a list of resources for evacuees:
The following schools will be closed until further notice.
Garden Grove School District:
Magnolia School District:
Savanna School District:
Westminster School District:
Cypress School District:
City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.
Mandatory evacuations have expanded for some 50,000 residents in the Garden Grove area, according to an internal briefing memo reviewed by ABC News.
There are multiple public facilities nearby -- including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, fire and law enforcement stations -- critical infrastructure, and essential services, all currently subject to mandatory evacuation and ongoing response operations.
Multiple roads have also been closed off in the evacuation zone. Evacuation centers have been established across Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton City Hall, Anaheim, and Buena Park, the memo said.
ABC News contributed to this report.
GKN Aerospace, the company responsible for the unstable chemical tank in Garden Grove, is already facing a class action lawsuit over the potential disaster.
Two residents who live in the evacuation zone are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, but the class action status covers anyone in the evacuation zone. With 50,000 under evacuation orders, the number of plaintiffs is expected to grow.
The lawyers behind the suit say evacuated families deserve answers, accountability and representation now. They say they're focused on protecting property rights, preserving evidence and making sure residents have a voice.
"You got to consider the fact that when you're storing highly toxic, highly volatile chemical compounds, you take on a responsibility. These are things that can be lethal in very small doses. and can create massive damage. So, if you don't act in a prudent way, you become responsible for your actions," said Filippo Marchino, the founder and managing partner of the X-Law Group. "So, to boil it down to answer your question, yes, we have a strict liability claim, but we also have simpler claims, like for example, negligence, which are equally powerful under the law."
The X-Law Group and Presidio Law Firm are leading the class action lawsuit.
While not making a direct comment on the lawsuit, the company did release a statement which says, in part:
"We are continuing to work around the clock with the OCFA, the EPA and all relevant federal, state and local agencies to mitigate the ongoing risk of a leak... We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains its safe resolution, so that residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible."
Attorneys point out that the active costs of displacement can add up very quickly, for example, the price of eating out, getting gas and paying for a hotel.
When you factor in the loss of the use of your own property, the attorneys believe conservative estimates for the damages could reach hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars.
