California officials say threat of catastrophic chemical explosion in Orange County eliminated

Published May 25, 2026 3:18pm ET | Updated May 25, 2026 3:18pm ET



Officials in Orange County, California, announced that the threat of a catastrophic explosion of a toxic chemical tank in Garden Grove has been eliminated but warned that a threat to the public still exists and evacuation orders remained in effect.

Concern had mounted for days that an overheated, pressurized tank containing a toxic chemical at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems facility, roughly 30 miles south of Los Angeles, could leak or explode as the temperature inside the tank continued to increase. Overnight between Sunday and Monday, local fire officials were able to confirm that a crack in the tank had reduced pressure and that the temperature had “stabilized.”

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