California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County following a dangerous chemical leak at an aerospace facility, as authorities race to prevent a possible explosion or widespread contamination.
Newsom said state resources are being fully deployed to assist local emergency responders as the situation continues to escalate.
“The safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,” Newsom said. “We are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make sure the community has what they need to stay safe.”
Officials confirmed that more than 50,000 residents have been evacuated as temperatures inside a leaking industrial tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove continue to rise, creating what responders describe as a highly unstable and dangerous environment.
Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Division Chief Craig Covey warned that conditions inside the tank are worsening despite earlier hopes that the situation was stabilising.
He said crews discovered that internal temperatures were increasing rather than decreasing after a risky operation inside the danger zone.
“We did put people in harm’s way last night … with an attempt to go in and neutralize the additional tank,” Covey said in a video posted on X.
The tank is believed to contain about 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a flammable chemical that can self-heat and trigger dangerous reactions under certain conditions.
Covey said the situation has reached a critical stage, with officials warning that only a few outcomes may be possible if the instability continues.
“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 and that area,” he said. “Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks that are around it that have fuel or chemicals in them as well.”
He later added that officials are now exploring alternative solutions, including expert consultations across the country.
“Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us,” Covey said. “Our goal is to find something and not allow that to happen.”
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also announced an investigation into the cause of the tank failure, urging employees at the facility to come forward with information.
“I am indicating to employees who work at GKN: If you want to come forward and you want to be interviewed and you want to tell us what you know, now is the time,” Spitzer said. “When we launch an investigation, and we get to the bottom of what happened and why the system failed, if you haven’t come forward, you’re not gonna be treated the same as if you come forward early and you tell us what you know.”
Officials say contingency plans are in place should the situation worsen, including potential evacuation expansions depending on wind and chemical movement patterns.
Health experts have warned that methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory and skin irritation, and its vapors may settle close to the ground due to its density.
Authorities continue to monitor air quality, with drones and sensors deployed around the facility to track temperature changes and potential leaks.
In updates shared Saturday night, officials said air monitoring has so far shown no dangerous levels outside the immediate risk zone, though evacuation orders remain in place as a precaution.
GKN Aerospace said it is cooperating fully with emergency services and expressed regret over the disruption.
“We sincerely apologize for the significant disruption to the many local residents and businesses who have had to be evacuated,” the company said. “We are working tirelessly with all relevant experts to resolve this situation as safely as possible and in a timely manner and we are deeply grateful for the continued skill and dedicated of the Orange County emergency services.”
The cause of the leak remains under investigation, and no injuries have been reported so far.
