Orange County leaders say previously evacuated area is safe. Experts say risks still linger
Key takeaways
- Local authorities lifted a large section of the evacuation zone surrounding GKN Aerospace and allowed tens of thousands of residents to return.
- The Orange County health officer and fire officials have insisted there were no vapors or chemical leaks.
- But environmental experts remained skeptical that no toxic substances had been released.
Firefighters used water to cool an overheated chemical tank in Garden Grove over the weekend. The threat of an explosion or spill prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of area residents. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) By Tony Briscoe Staff Writer Follow May 26, 2026 4:02 PM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
After six days of trying to avoid an overheating chemical tank erupting into a giant fireball or spilling thousands of gallons of toxic substances at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, Orange County leaders announced Tuesday that the risk of catastrophic explosion had largely been eliminated.
Local authorities lifted a large section of the evacuation zone surrounding GKN Aerospace and allowed tens of thousands of residents to return.