In a significant development for Southern California residents, all evacuation orders related to a hazardous materials situation at an aerospace facility were lifted on Tuesday night. This decision marks a turning point, allowing thousands of individuals to return to their homes after days of uncertainty.
Authorities rescinded the last evacuation directive for those residing in Garden Grove, near the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems site. The area had been under threat due to a compromised chemical tank that posed an explosion risk.
The evacuation affected approximately 50,000 people throughout the Orange County region. The alarm was raised when a tank filled with methyl methacrylate (MMA), a highly flammable substance, began to overheat and degrade, prompting immediate safety measures.
“All residents will go home,” announced Craig Covey, Division Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, during a public meeting, signaling the end of the emergency for local communities.
DISNEYLAND REMAINS OPEN AS EVACUATION ZONE SHRINKS AROUND CHEMICAL TANK SCARE
Amid the crisis, efforts continued unabated as firefighters sprayed water on the overheating tank at the Garden Grove aerospace plant on May 22, 2026, working diligently to mitigate the danger. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Over Memorial Day weekend, a crack unexpectedly formed in the tank, relieving pressure and helping avert a catastrophic explosion, allowing most evacuees to return home. Still, roughly 16,000 residents remained under evacuation orders heading into Tuesday.
Crews continued spraying water on the tank until the interior temperature stabilized at 92 degrees, down from 100 degrees over the weekend.
A sprinkler system also doused the tank while company specialists and firefighters removed insulation to help cool it.
COMMERCIAL BUILDING EXPLODES IN NEW JERSEY, MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED AND REMAIN IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County as California continues to respond to the hazardous chemical incident in Garden Grove. (Ethan Swope/AP)
Authorities said evacuation orders were lifted after the tank’s temperature remained stable for four hours without assistance from the sprinkler system.
While health officials have assured residents that monitoring had not detected hazardous levels of contamination or fumes, authorities said they will continue monitoring air quality, sewer systems and storm drains for several months.
Exposure to MMA can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues, and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
WORKERS KILLED AND MANY TREATED AFTER REFINERY CHEMICAL RELEASE AS INVESTIGATORS PROBE CAUSE
Evacuees move to another shelter after an aerospace chemical plant tank leak forced the closure of the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center in Garden Grove, Calif., on May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said she plans to hold the company accountable.
GKN said in a statement Tuesday that it was continuing to work closely with authorities.
“We apologize for the ongoing disruption this incident is causing, and our priority remains the safety of our neighbors and our community,” the statement said.
Residents at the meeting questioned why large quantities of the chemical were stored near homes and urged city officials to scrutinize the company’s safety practices.
SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS GIANT BLACK PLUME OF SMOKE RISING FROM TENNESSEE PLASTIC RECYCLING FACILITY FIRE
Water is sprayed on a damaged tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Crews had been racing to prevent a catastrophic failure since Thursday, when officials responded to vapor releasing from a in a storage tank at the facility, which manufactures engine structures and products for commercial and military aircraft.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as crews shifted from defensive containment operations to high-risk offensive actions aimed at preventing an explosion.
Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday the crisis was likely caused by the failure of a cooling system designed to regulate the temperature inside the chemical tanks, though officials were still investigating.
He said the malfunction may have caused heat to build inside a pressurized tank containing 7,000 gallons of MMA.
“We don’t know why, but it stopped cooling,” McGovern said. “So that’s what started this event, to where the product heated up … and that’s how this whole response started. We’re just now being able to get to the tanks, so there’s definitely more to come of what caused it.”
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