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GARDEN GROVE, California, May 26, 2026 — California is under a presidential emergency declaration after an overheating chemical storage tank at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove forced the evacuation of about 40,000 residents across six Southern California cities. Governor Gavin Newsom secured the declaration from President Donald Trump on Tuesday, unlocking federal assistance for a response that already involves more than 785 state and local personnel working in round-the-clock shifts. The industrial tank, located roughly 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland, contains an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a volatile, toxic and flammable compound used in resins and aerospace plastics. Officials say the tank overheated past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, raising fears it could rupture or explode and release hazardous vapors over nearby residential neighborhoods. Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations late Thursday and expanded them on Friday for parts of Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster, while police conducted door-to-door sweeps and emergency crews deployed sandbags to block any potential chemical runoff from reaching waterways. Firefighters with the Orange County Fire Authority used drones to cool the tank from a distance and limited close-up checks to nighttime to reduce ignition risks. By Monday, a crack in the compromised tank had relieved internal pressure and lowered the chemical temperature to about 93 degrees Fahrenheit, removing the immediate explosion threat. However, officials say the tank’s structure remains compromised and its drainage valves are not functioning, complicating efforts to safely remove the remaining liquid. Federal agencies including the EPA, FEMA and the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center are now supporting air monitoring at 20 sites, where readings currently show normal air quality, while only some evacuation orders have been lifted and tens of thousands of residents remain displaced. GKN Aerospace has apologized for the disruption and says hazardous materials specialists continue work to fully neutralize the site.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.