Orange County chemical leak frustrating crews as evacuation zone grows

A massive tank leaking toxic chemicals into the sky over Garden Grove, California has led to more evacuations as officials struggle to prevent a possible explosion.The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) has been briefing the public all day Friday about the dangerous leak, which forced mass evacuations and school closures in the area since it started on Thursday.“The great news is our efforts so far have continued to cool the tank.It’s down to a temperature around 61 degrees, with 50 being its happy place,” OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said in a recent update.“So those efforts are succeeding and it’s giving us opportunity to reconsider engaging in close proximity to implement some of the concepts that were outside the box,” he added.

The leak at the GKN Aerospace plant, located at Western and Lampson avenues, led to evacuation orders affecting thousands of nearby residents.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story On Thursday, firefighters responded to a vapor release from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, an industrial chemical used in plastics and manufacturing, the OCFA said.The tank’s temperature had increased, activating a relief valve designed to safely release vapors, officials said.Dr.Regina Chintanar Quang with the OC health agency said that their biggest “concern is when this chemical reacts and the temperatures rise, it can cause a vapor.”“My big concern is that if that vapor goes into the air and people inhale it, it causes significant damage.”Quang listed some of the symptoms people would experience if they did inhale from an irritation to a person’s respiratory tract or lungs, with prolonged exposure possibly leading to severe respiratory issues.“So no matter what happens with the situation — wh...