Diehards refuse to evacuate near epicenter of time-bomb chemical plant

An Orange County mayor has revealed there are still homeowners who have failed to leave the evacuation zone where an unstable chemical tank threatens to explode.

Stephanie Klopfenstein, the mayor of Garden Grove, warned those who have remained that it was a “very dangerous situation” and they should flee now.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last week after the danger area ballooned into nearly 10 square miles across Garden Grove, Anaheim, Stanton, Cypress, Buena Park and Westminster — uprooting as many as 50,000 people who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the GKN Aerospace chemical plant.

Locals were rushed into makeshift shelters while others booked themselves into hotel rooms.

But Klopfenstein revealed late Saturday there were still some people living in the area despite the evacuation order.

She said: “For those who have not left yet, public safety warnings have been very clear — this is a very dangerous situation and you are urged to leave your home and businesses now.”

The roughly 50,000 residents are struggling to find places to go, with NBC LA reporting four out of the five evacuation centers have already reached capacity.

“The top priority for everyone working on this incident is the safety of our community and return of everyone to their homes,” Klopfenstein said. 

Several hotels are offering discounted rates to help residents looking for shelter, while Planet Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness are allowing people to use their facilities for free, according to The OC Register.

Since Thursday, when the compromised storage tank containing highly volatile industrial chemicals began overheating and emitting vapors, authorities have been trying to stabilize the 34,000-gallon tank and prevent an explosion.

“There are literally two options left remaining — One, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area, or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up,” Commander Craig Covey, with the Orange County Fire Authority said during a press conference Friday. 

On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency, deploying more resources and aid to the area. 

A class-action lawsuit has also been filed against GKN Aerospace on behalf of Garden Grove residents, arguing the company failed to adequately protect the surrounding community from known hazardous materials, KTLA reported. 

 As of Saturday, fire officials said air pollutant levels were at normal levels. 

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