Garden Grove Lifts Evacuations After 34,000-Gallon Chemical Leak Cooled
Updated
Updated · NBC Los Angeles · May 22
Garden Grove Lifts Evacuations After 34,000-Gallon Chemical Leak Cooled
6 articles · Updated · NBC Los Angeles · May 22
Evacuation orders for Garden Grove neighborhoods were lifted around 8:40 p.m. after crews cooled leaking methyl methacrylate vapors at an aerospace facility.
OCFA responded about 3:40 p.m. to 12122 Western Avenue, where a 34,000-gallon tank was releasing vapors from the highly flammable chemical used in aerospace plastic parts.
By before 9:30 p.m., sprinkler systems and fire water streams had cooled the tank enough for an industrial cleanup crew to begin offloading the chemical.
The evacuation zone covered areas north of Garden Grove Boulevard, east of Western Avenue, south of Orangewood Avenue and west of Beach Boulevard; some street closures remained in place.
Fire officials stayed on scene to support the transfer, while the cause of the leak remained unclear.
A massive leak and a failed valve shut down a city. Is this an isolated accident or a systemic industrial risk?
Why did firefighters use water on a chemical when its safety data sheet explicitly warns against it?