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Temperature Rise of the Failing Tank
Temperature increase observed in the failing chemical tank over time.
Primary Sources
California chemical tank crisis escalates as Newsom declares state of ...
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Emergency crews launched a high-stakes "offensive" overnight mission at a Southern California aerospace facility to neutralize an adjacent chemical tank, as the internal temperature of a failing primary tank has steadily climbed to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency Saturday and the evacuation of over 40,000 residents.Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Greg Covey shared the "bad news" Saturday morning that crews who went into harm's way overnight and manually checked the failing tank's internal temperature gauge, which had been obscured from drone cameras by cooling water.The temperature had reached 90 degrees, rising by an average of one degree per hour since it was recorded at 77 degrees on Friday morning.Orange County Fire Authority Interim Chief T.J. McGovern and Covey previously warned there are only two catastrophic outcomes: The tank could fail and spill between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of "very bad chemicals," or undergo "thermal runaway" and explode, potentially triggering a chain reaction with neighboring fuel and chemical tanks.SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS GIANT BLACK PLUME OF SMOKE RISING FROM TENNESSEE PLASTIC RECYCLING FACILITY FIRE Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant, Friday, in Garden Grove, Calif. (Ethan Swope/AP)The primary goal of the overnight operation, conducted with the support of a chemist team, was to neutralize a 15,000-gallon tank, removing its explosive potential in case the neighboring 7,000-gallon tank detonates, according to Covey.Despite the rising temperatures, officials have developed a potential third outcome to avoid disaster.By using a heavy, continuous deluge of water, crews hope the volatile chemical will "cure" and harden at a slower rate from the outside in, similar to an ice cube.TWO INJURED AFTER EXPLOSION RIPS THROUGH CHEMICAL PLANT, SPARKING HAZMAT RESPONSE, SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERCovey said the team is hoping the void space at the top of the tank will absorb the overpressure from the curing process, preventing an explosion.Simultaneously, crews are preparing aggressive contingency plans in case the tank fails and spills liquid.Responders are establishing diking and damming measures to divert the potential fluid down a grade into a commercial holding area. Firefighter trucks pump water to a chemical tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif. (Ethan Swope/AP)OKLAHOMA ...
Southern California chemical tank at risk of exploding as 40,000 ...
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Southern California chemical tank at risk of exploding as 40,000 ...
State Zip Code Country
California's Newsom declares emergency over chemicals tank ... - Yahoo
DPASun, May 24, 2026 at 9:40 AM UTC1 min readFILE PHOTO: Gavin Newsom, Governor of California speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC). (is associated with: «California's Newsom declares emergency over chemicals tank blast risk») Marijan Murat/dpaCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County in response to the risk of explosion following a leak from a chemicals tank in the Greater Los Angeles area.The authorities had been mobilized for more than 24 hours and were working to contain the risk, Newsom posted on X late on Saturday.The move allows California to seek federal assistance from Washington. Tens of thousands of area residents were advised to leave their homes, with some 40,000 heeding the call to spend the night in hotels, in their cars or in the emergency accommodation provided by the authorities.The tank containing close to 130,000 litres is located on the premises of an aerospace company in Garden Grove, south-east of Los Angeles.It contains methyl methacrylate, a toxic and flammable chemical used in the production of plastics. The risk of a massive leak or explosion have not been contained yet, according to media reports.Orange County fire services spokesman Craig Covey said earlier reports that the contents had cooled, reducing the explosion hazard, had turned out to be incorrect, after a drone measured the external temperature.He added that firefighters had now assessed that the temperature had in fact risen considerably. The team was seeking to prevent the tank exploding, he said.
