Update on May 27, 2026: The evacuation order affecting approximately 50,000 people was lifted on May 26 at 7:28 p.m.
On May 23, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County as thousands of residents evacuated due to an ongoing chemical incident in Garden Grove. The incident began Thursday, May 21, at the GKN Aerospace facility near Western Avenue and Lampson Avenue after a storage tank containing between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable chemical commonly used in the production of plastics and aircraft parts, overheated and began venting vapors into the air, according to officials.
With this, health officials warn that exposure to methyl methacrylate could cause respiratory irritation, burning eyes, nausea, and headaches.
Orange County fire officials initially warned the damaged tank remained at risk of rupturing or exploding, prompting widespread evacuation orders affecting residents of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, and Westminster. Authorities estimated between 40,000 and 50,000 residents were impacted at the height of the evacuation zone.
As conditions improved on Sunday and temperatures inside the tank continued to decrease, officials announced a reduced evacuation zone would remain in place out of caution while crews continue monitoring the site at a press release on Monday.
Jennifer Lopez, a resident of Garden Grove, said the evacuation left her family emotionally and financially strained, “Due to being out of work, I’ve had to worry about my finances. I’ve been separated from my family due to shelters not having space for all of us, and it’s very heartbreaking not to be with them during these times,” said Lopez. She also expressed uncertainty about what comes next, adding, “My main concern is if my home will be safe to go back to. Or will I even be able to go home anytime soon?”
For Nathan Tran, a substitute teacher and activist, the ongoing chemical incident has turned familiar places into scenes he barely recognizes. “A lot of these sites are schools I’ve been at before, so it’s kind of surreal walking into these places as emergency shelters,” said Tran. His father, who works at the GKN Aerospace facility where the incident began, described the past several days as a “feeling of disbelief and surrealism.”
Tran said many residents were forced out with almost no warning after the sheriff of the Garden Grove Police Department was actively knocking on doors, telling people to evacuate immediately, leaving behind “medicine, extra clothes, and other essentials at home.”
He also recalled meeting one medically vulnerable evacuee who feared staying in an overcrowded shelter, “The last place he needed to be or wanted to be was a shelter because if he gets sick there, he dies.” Tran mentions that these shelters don’t have enough beds, forcing people to spend hundreds on motel rooms, sleep in cars, or rely on crowded homes packed with “10 or 20 people staying in one house.”
Families are now financially struggling due to rising hotel costs, expensive gas, missing work, and looming rent payments.
“It’s already unaffordable to live in Orange County. Now they’re facing hotel costs, lost work, and travel expenses on top of that,” said Tran.
Officials have continued round-the-clock efforts to cool the damaged tank as temperatures inside slowly decrease. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Division Chief Craig Covey said crews initially believed the tank’s temperature had stabilized, but later discovered drone readings were measuring the exterior of the tank rather than the internal temperature. By Saturday, officials reported the tank had reached approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in an update released the next day, OCFA reports cooling operations reduced the temperature to approximately 92 degrees, and that the risk of an explosion was no longer considered a concern. Crews will continue monitoring the tank and surrounding air quality while maintaining a reduced evacuation zone out of caution. “We are happy to report that the threat of a BLEVE is now off the table. That threat has been eliminated,” said TJ McGovern, Interim Fire Chief for OCFA.
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion is a massive explosion that happens when a pressurized tank containing a hot liquid ruptures, causing the liquid to instantly turn into vapor and explode outward.
Maps were also released on Saturday detailing the potential blast zones surrounding the GKN Aerospace facility if the compromised tank were to explode. OCFA states that the map outlines multiple impact zones ranging from severe structural damage near the tank to lighter damage farther outward.
Reactions to the emergency response have been mixed. Some residents said officials handled the situation well and communicated clearly, while others criticized the timing and scope of the evacuation orders.
“I feel like local officials have been great and transparent about the situation and are doing their best. They are constantly giving updates and releasing information. The community has been great with everyone sharing information, so it was easy to stay up to date,” said Alex Mai, a resident who lives on the border of Cypress and Garden Grove.
Andrea Cordero, a resident of Garden Grove, said communication during the evacuations left many residents confused and unaware of the danger around them. She explained that despite seeing fire trucks and ambulances stationed near the mobile home park, residents did not receive direct warnings or announcements. She questioned why nearby homes across Garden Grove Boulevard were evacuated first while her neighborhood remained in place, even though the chemical plant was only a “two-minute drive” from her home.
No injuries or deaths have been reported as of Monday. Air monitoring has also not detected any dangerous chemical levels outside the facility.
Fullerton College has since released an official statement via email on Friday to its staff and students:
“Fullerton College is aware of an ongoing chemical incident taking place in the city of Garden Grove. At this time, there is no impact on campus.”
On May 25, the chancellor of the North Orange County Community College District, Byron Clift Breland, also released a statement to its staff.
“Following the expansion of the evacuation zone on Friday, May 22, Cypress College and the North Orange County Community College District activated the Emergency Operations Center. This action has helped ensure that we have access to official information and that we are coordinating appropriately with the County of Orange and incident response agencies,” said Breland in the statement.
The Emergency Operations Center helps the district base its decisions about schools on whether it is safe for the public or not.
Evacuation shelters will remain open throughout Orange County as some displaced residents wait for officials to determine when it will be safe to return home.
American Red Cross
Golden West College
15744 Goldenwest Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
No pets allowed
Oceanview High School
17071 Gothard Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Pets allowed
John F Kennedy High School
8281 Walker Street
La Palma, CA 90623
Pets allowed (OC Animal Care AKC trailer located here)
Mile Square Regional Park – Freedom Hall
16801 Euclid Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Pets allowed (OC Animal Care AKC trailer located here)
Los Amigos High School
16566 Newhope Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 628-7085 (Public Hotline)
No pets allowed
Care Centers (Closed at 8:00 PM)
Ehlers Center
8150 Knott Avenue
Buena Park, CA 90620
Pets allowed
Westminster Senior Center
8200 Westminster Boulevard
Westminster, CA 92683
You can also call the shelter status hotline at (714)-628-7085