
Orange County ends six-day chemical crisis as evacuations are lifted
All remaining evacuation orders in six Orange County cities were lifted after officials determined there was no longer a danger of explosion or chemical release from a methyl methacrylate tank at GKN Aerospace, marking a six-day crisis that forced about 50,000 residents to evacuate. The risk was reduced after a crack lowered tank pressure and crews cooled the contents with more than 9 million gallons of water; a 300-foot exclusion zone remains and a Western Avenue road closure continues as officials monitor conditions and continue to face ongoing lawsuits tied to the incident.
