Orange County near-miss rekindles warnings on runaway chemical reactions

An aerospace firm in Garden Grove faced a potential catastrophe when a tank containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate began overheating after a cooling-system failure, risking a BLEVE that could have sent toxic fumes across Orange County; 50,000 residents were evacuated, but cooling efforts stabilized the tank and lifted evacuations as authorities reported no ongoing toxic release. The incident reflects longstanding industry warnings about reactive-hazard safety and underscores ongoing calls for stronger safety measures, with past international disasters cited for context.