A chemical tank at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove raised fears for several days of a leak or explosion after becoming unstable. By Tuesday night, however, the Orange County Fire Authority said there was no longer a threat of explosion, fire or chemical leak, and all evacuation orders related to the incident were lifted.
The emergency displaced roughly 50,000 residents in surrounding areas over the course of several days. According to ABC7, the final 16,000 evacuated residents were allowed to return home after evacuation orders were lifted at 7:30 p.m.
Initially, officials warned the tank could either explode or spill, forcing families across multiple Orange County communities to leave with little certainty about when they would be able to return.
According to the City of Garden Grove’s emergency page, the evacuation zone covered the area south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street, west of Dale Street and north of Trask Avenue. The affected area included parts of Garden Grove, Stanton, Westminster, Cypress, Buena Park and Anaheim. The city later announced that the evacuation zone was reduced before all orders were eventually lifted.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County as the crisis continued. The tank, which carried 6,500 gallons of methyl methacrylate, became unstable last week and heated uncontrollably. ABC7 reported that for several days officials believed either an explosion or a spill was unavoidable. The cause of the overheating remains under investigation.
Eventually, the tank cracked and released pressure, removing the threat of a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. Crews carried out additional work to confirm that pressure had been released and to remove weather insulation from the outside of the tank to make cooling efforts more effective. Although a smaller fire or leak remained a concern, officials said Tuesday night that there was no longer any risk to surrounding residents. No injuries were reported.
The emergency affected more than just homes. Nearby businesses, traffic patterns and daily routines were also disrupted as families remained displaced and roads around the area were closed. On its emergency page, the City of Garden Grove later posted small-business resources, including a Small Business Administration assistance worksheet and a webinar for businesses affected by the chemical incident scheduled for May 29. The city also said all road closures around the area were reopened by May 27.
ABC7 reported that GKN Aerospace is facing a class action lawsuit over the incident. According to the report, the plaintiffs are two residents from the evacuation zone, and the suit is being led by The X-Law Group P.C. and Presidio Law Firm LLP.
The city has directed residents and businesses to its emergency page for continuing updates and recovery information. Garden Grove’s number for information and assistance regarding the chemical incident is (714) 741-5444. Residents can also contact the Orange County Public Information Hotline at (714) 628-7085, and for emergencies, call 911.
Brinda Popli is a News Intern for the spring 2026 quarter. She can be reached at bpopli@uci.edu.
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