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On Monday morning, officials from the Orange County Fire Authority announced that the temperature of a chemical tank in Garden Grove has decreased, alleviating the potential for a major explosion.
“We are pleased to announce that the danger of a BLEVE has been averted,” stated the Orange County Fire Authority in a Monday morning post on X. BLEVE refers to a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.
Previously, the tank’s exact temperature was uncertain because its gauge couldn’t record temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, prompting fears of a significant explosion as teams closely observed the situation.
During Monday’s update, officials revealed that they had successfully measured the tank’s temperature, which had fallen to 93 degrees.
OCFA Chief TJ McGovern discussed with KTLA the ongoing risk of smaller explosions and its implications for the 50,000 residents currently under evacuation orders.
“The subject matter experts made the evacuation zones. That was based off the tank. That was based off of the chemical inside and should there be a BLEVE, what is the radius for a BLEVE? That’s why those evacuation zones were set up there,” McGovern said in the interview. “Now that that’s off the table, we’re going to evaluate the zones for an explosion. So, in theory, the explosion zone is probably going to be reduced. So, that’s what we’re doing right now as we mitigate one step at a time.”
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Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP) -
Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
The sign of GKN Aerospace where a tank overheated in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Officials outline a potential blast zone should a leaking chemical tank explode in Garden Grove. (Orange County Fire Authority/ (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A map of the evacuation zone in the wake of a toxic chemical leak in Garden Grove. May 2026. (Garden Grove Police Department) -
Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Sky5 footage of a potentially explosive chemical leak at a facility in Garden Grove. May 23, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 footage of a potentially explosive chemical leak at a facility in Garden Grove. May 23, 2026. (KTLA)
The incident began Thursday afternoon at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems facility on Western Avenue, where a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable industrial chemical used to make acrylic plastics, overheated and began venting vapors.
Officials had been hopeful that a crack found in the side of the tank would reduce the possibility of an explosion, which they confirmed did occur Monday.
Tens of thousands of residents remain under evacuation orders, with many shelters already reaching capacity. Evacuation centers at Golden West College, Los Alamitos High School and the Orange County Fairgrounds, which is offering RV parking, still appeared to have space available Monday morning. Residents have been asked not to park at state beaches.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and Orange County First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen said a letter she sent to President Trump over the weekend requesting federal assistance has been signed.
Meanwhile, attorneys have filed a lawsuit against GKN Aerospace, alleging the company failed to protect the community from known hazardous conditions.