GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- There is no longer a threat of a catastrophic explosion at a tank filled with a toxic chemical at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, officials said Monday.
The "crisis situation" forced 50,000 people out of their homes in Orange County for several days. In an update on Monday evening, the evacuation zone was reduced, now impacting 16,000 residents.
Crews worked overnight on a risky mission to confirm if the pressure in the tank was releasing after a crack was discovered. Firefighters removed weather insulation from the outside of the tank to help the water be more efficient at cooling the temperature down.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the threat of a BLEVE, which stands for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion, at the site "is now off the table." Crews were able to confirm that the temperature of the tank is decreasing.
Officials said the crisis is not averted, however, there is still a chance of a significantly smaller explosion, fire or leak.
Residents are being asked to continue to avoid the reduced evacuation zone. Any areas outside of the evacuation zone "are currently considered completely safe, and day-to-day activities can continue as normal."
So far, no injuries have been reported.
It was unclear what initially caused the material in the tank to overheat.
Este blog se ofrece en Español, aquí.
The evacuation zone for a chemical tank crisis unfolding in Garden Grove for the past several days has been reduced.
The new zone impacts 16,000 residents. The new map barriers include Orangewood Avenue to the north, Dale Street to the east, Knott Street to the west and Garden Grove Boulevard to the south.
Evacuation shelters will remain open for the residents who live within the reduced evacuation zone.
Previously, 50,000 Orange County residents were within the evacuation zone.
Fire crews have worked through the night on a dangerous mission to test the pressure inside the chemical tank.
They're trying to determine if a crack in the tank has relieved some of the pressure inside and reduced its risk of exploding.
Until officials release their findings, the threat of a catastrophic explosion remains, as well as evacuation orders for some 50,000 people in the area.
As evacuations force 50,000 Orange County residents from their homes, some families are stepping up to provide shelter, opening their doors to relatives in need despite crowded conditions.
One Anaheim TikTok user drew widespread attention on social media after sharing a video showing her living room filled with 20 of her displaced family members.
Yasmin Martinez, who lives with her mother, said their decision to take in family members was immediate. She welcomed our Eyewitness News crew inside her home to show how she and her family are making the best of a difficult situation.
"It's been fun. A lot of playing and running around, sometimes there's moments of stress, but other than that, it hasn't been bad," Martinez said.
The group has tried to maintain a sense of normalcy, gathering for large backyard cookouts, playing games and spending quality time together in very cramped quarters.
For those staying there, the support has been critical.
"I'm very thankful that they opened the doors. With me and my kids, because I'm the one who has the kids, and that they're patient and willing to help out, knowing they're little. I'm very thankful they opened their doors," said Tyara Penuelas of Stanton.
Martinez said welcoming relatives during the emergency was never in question, even as their home quickly filled beyond its usual capacity.
Families displaced by a mandatory evacuation tied to a crisis at a Garden Grove chemical plant are scrambling to find safe places to stay, with some turning to beach parking lots while official shelters reach capacity.
Eyewitness News spotted at least a dozen RVs parked at Bolsa Chica Beach on Sunday night, but officers say they must leave.
Sam Garcia-Rojas, his wife and their two dogs have been living out of their RV at Bolsa Chica Beach while first responders tend to a looming disaster in Garden Grove.
"It's nice we call it home. It's safe in the meantime," Garcia-Rojas said. "It's been tight quarters."
Rows of RVs now line the beach parking lot, filled with evacuees seeking temporary refuge since Friday's mandatory evacuation.
However, state park administrators said in a post on X that beach sites are not designated evacuation centers and lack the facilities to support overnight guests.
Orange County officials have opened the county fairgrounds in Costa Mesa to accommodate RVs, but Garcia-Rojas said no spaces were available when his family checked.
"You would think in a crisis like this, what's wrong with letting us stay here all day as we've paid for the full day?" he said. "All these people have paid for a full day's use. All we are doing is sleeping here from 10 to six. We're not using anything of theirs. We have everything we need... We're not tapping into resources. All we are doing is parking."
With 50,000 people forced to evacuate, the crisis has overwhelmed Red Cross shelters to capacity. Freedom Hall in Fountain Valley and Savanna High School in Anaheim are among locations at capacity, leaving some evacuees with few options.
Samuel Campbell said he has been forced to sleep in a car with a friend in a parking lot.
"No, not right now," he said when asked if he had found shelter. "I just stay in the car with my friend. That's all we can do, for now, in the parking lot like everyone else. Most of them are staying too, overnight."
Local officials acknowledged the strain on the system and said efforts are underway to expand shelter availability.
"We've heard that folks have been jumping around, trying to find a shelter, and it really is important that we have a new shelter, that we're trying to do everything that we can to help as many people as we can," said Carlos Leon, Anaheim's mayor pro tem.
Late Sunday, the Red Cross announced it would open a new shelter at Los Alamitos High School -- one of the options Garcia-Rojas said his family may eventually have to consider.
"If it came down to that, of course, if we have to go, we have to go," he said, "But we're trying to make this work for all of us, because we're all centrally located to this location."
The Red Cross is expected to provide an update on the number of people staying at the community shelters on Monday.
Firefighters are putting their lives on the line to perform a high-risk operation at a compromised chemical tank in Garden Grove, trying to figure out whether the risk of an explosion is still there.
The Orange County Fire Authority says the firefighters will be working all night to assess the status of the tanks at GKN Aerospace.
The internal temperature of the tank is now at or exceeding 100 degrees, making for a very volatile situation. Now, crews are working to confirm if the pressure in the tank has been released and if the threat of explosion is eliminated.
Firefighters discovered a crack in the tank on Saturday night, saying that could be alleviating some of the pressure that has been building up inside.
OCFA says there is jsut one known crack on the tank and no active chemical leak.
OCFA Captain Brian Yau says firefighters will continue assessing the tanks on high ladders, but it's high-risk
"We know that it's over 100 degrees inside. We don't know what the temperature is, so being near that tank is high risk in itself, because it still has the possibility to have a catastrophic failure," Yao said.
Crews will be surveying to see if there are any additional cracks. AIR7 captured video of peeling weather stripping on the exterior of the tank
It was revealed earlier Saturday that once the internal tank temperature reaches 100 degrees, experts aren't able to determine how far over 100 the tank is. It now comes down to figuring out a plan.
"Determine what's happening, what's happening on the inside, and with that intelligence, that knowledge, and that assessment, we can take that information back to the experts and form a new plan and a new risk analysis," Yao said.
Local leaders are calling on President Donald Trump to approve a federal emergency declaration.
Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted an official request on Saturday night after already proclaiming a state of emergency.
An emergency declaration would allow FEMA to provide resources and funds to help with services like evacuations and shelters, as 50,000 residents remain evacuated.
