All evacuation orders lifted in O.C. chemical crisis. No public danger remains, officials say
Key takeaways
- As a result, the evacuation zone was initially reduced Monday evening.
- On Tuesday, crews remained focused on stabilizing the temperature of the tank to eliminate any remaining fire risk, according to interim Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern.
- The six-day chemical crisis began inside the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove on Thursday.
Craig Covey, division chief with the Orange County Fire Authority, speaks at a community meeting Tuesday evening in Garden Grove. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times) By Clara Harter Staff Writer Follow May 26, 2026 8:08 PM PT 2 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.
All remaining evacuation orders were lifted in Orange County on Tuesday evening as authorities declared there was no remaining danger of an explosion, chemical leak or fire stemming from a hazardous material incident at an aerospace manufacturing plant.
Around 50,000 people in Stanton, Garden Grove and surrounding areas were asked to evacuate during the crisis, when an overheating tank filled with 7,000 gallons of a chemical called methyl methacrylate — a highly flammable liquid monomer used to manufacture plastics — was at risk of causing a massive explosion.