Orange County Firefighters Eliminate Explosion Risk at Aerospace Facility Tank

The threat of an explosion at a Southern California aerospace facility has been eliminated after firefighters conducted an overnight operation to relieve pressure inside a cracked tank, Orange County Fire Authority officials told CBS News. Interim Chief TJ McGovern posted on X that the risk of a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, or BLEVE, is now off the table.

Division Chief Craig Covey confirmed that the tank's internal temperature had fallen from 100 degrees to 93 degrees.

The tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove holds an estimated 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate. Officials said a crack discovered Saturday night allowed pressure to release, lowering the temperature and reducing the chance of further cracks forming.

Public Information Officer Nick Garton stated there is no active leak but added that additional cracks at the bottom of the tank remain possible. The agency clarified that only one crack exists and that peeling weather stripping observed earlier was caused by continuous hose streams.

More than 50,000 people remain under evacuation orders. California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested that President Trump issue a Federal Emergency Declaration to activate FEMA assistance and federal funding. Democratic U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Rep.

Derek Tran, co-signed a letter urging approval of the request. On Sunday, Newsom said more than 785 state and local responders had been deployed to the area. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced an investigation into the cause of the tank failure and invited employees to provide information.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against GKN Aerospace by two law firms on behalf of evacuated residents.