Tank leaking toxic chemicals in Garden Grove at risk of exploding

A massive tank leaking toxic chemicals into the sky over Garden Grove is now at risk of exploding, officials warned in a terrifying update to the ongoing situation.

The Orange County Fire Authority on Friday gave a briefing on the dangerous leak, which has forced mass evacuations in the area since it started on Thursday.

“We have a tank that is actively in crisis, for lack of a better word,” OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said in the announcement.

“There are literally two options left remaining: one, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6 to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area,” he continued.

“Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks around them that have chemicals in them as well.”

The leak at the GKN Aerospace plant, located at Western and Lampson avenues, led to evacuation orders affecting thousands of nearby residents and several schools, ABC 7 reported.

On Thursday, firefighters responded to a vapor release from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical is used in plastics and manufacturing, the OCFA said.

The tank’s temperature had increased, activating a relief valve designed to safely release  vapors, officials said.

After initially lifting the evacuation orders, authorities reissued them on Friday covering the area north of Trask Avenue, south of Ball Road, east of Valley View Street Avenue and west of Dale Street, OCFA said.

The Garden Grove Unified School District announced that more than a dozen area schools were closed until further notice.

Rep. Derek Tran called the chemicals “volatile and flammable” in a statement, saying he was in contact with FEMA and EPA officials “to urge them to provide any available federal assistance.”

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