Crack in Los Angeles chemical tank may reduce explosion threat

A fragile sign of progress emerged in Garden Grove after authorities said they found a crack in a damaged tank holding toxic chemicals, a development that may be easing pressure as fears of an explosion have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Roughly 50,000 residents in the Garden Grove area of Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, were ordered to evacuate on Friday after the tank began leaking and sent fumes across a densely populated area about 8km from Disneyland.

Federal regulators sent in a team of specialists to assess what could happen next, with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin telling CNN yesterday that the “most catastrophic scenario” would be one tank exploding and triggering blasts in nearby tanks.

“That’s the reason why you see such a big evacuation.”

Firefighters were working “to confirm that the pressure in the tank has been released” and that the risk of an explosion has passed, TJ McGovern, interim fire chief for the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a video post on X.

Around 50,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes

On Saturday night, firefighters moved in close enough to the tank to collect more information and spotted a “potential crack in the tank, which could potentially be relieving some of the pressure in there,” Mr McGovern said.

“This operation that we did gave us positive intel to make educated decisions today in the positive light,” he said, adding that experts were closely reviewing the data gathered.

“We’re not there yet, but this was a step in a right direction.”

Officials have not said what caused the leak, which was first reported on Thursday, and Mr McGovern did not say whether the crack was connected to the leak itself.

The tank holds 26,000 litres of methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable liquid used in the production of plastics.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County on Saturday.

The state’s whole-of-government response in #GardenGrove includes real-time environmental monitoring, evacuations, traffic control, shelter operations, and community assistance as crews continue working to protect public safety.

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 25, 2026

Firefighters warned on Saturday that the tank was heating up, deepening concerns about a potentially catastrophic explosion, and crews have been spraying water on it in an effort to keep it cool.

The tank belongs to GKN Aerospace, which, according to its website, operates 32 manufacturing locations in 12 countries — including China, India, Mexico, Turkey, Sweden and Germany — and employs 16,000 people.

The UK-headquartered company, which develops airplane technology, said in a statement yesterday that it is “working around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak”.

“We are acutely aware of the uncertainty this incident is causing and sincerely apologise for the ongoing disruption to the local community,” the statement said.

The tank is located around 8km from Disneyland

As of yesterday, evacuees still had not been cleared to return home, and additional shelters were opened to take them in.

Disneyland officials said the “resort remains open to guests,” adding that they were monitoring the situation closely.

The EPA says methyl methacrylate can irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes in humans. In cases of acute or prolonged exposure, it can also trigger respiratory and neurological reactions.

Emergency crews were also working to install containment barriers to stop any spilled material from reaching storm drains or river channels that flow into the ocean.