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Newsom Declares State of Emergency in Orange County as Experts Warn Chemical Tank Could Explode – Firefighters Find Crack in Tank
The Gateway Pundit ^ | May 24, 2026 | Cristina Laila

Posted on 05/24/2026 1:27:44 PM PDT by Red Badger

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency on Saturday evening as experts warned that the chemical tank that is overheating in Orange County could explode.

40,000 residents in Orange County, California, were evacuated on Friday amid a chemical leak at an aerospace facility.

On Thursday, a valve overheated on a 34,000-gallon tank used to make plastics.

Authorities said the tank, located in Garden Grove, could either explode or spill thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals.

Several evacuation centers were opened; however, many residents are still refusing to leave their homes.

On Friday evening, Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief and Unified Incident Commander Craig Covey said the temperature of the tank had come down.

“It’s down to a temperature around 61 degrees, with 50 being its happy place,” Craig Covey said.

However, Covey walked back his statement on Saturday and said drones were measuring the temperature outside of the tank.

As of Saturday, the tank's internal temperature is around 100 degrees, up from 77 degrees on Friday.

On Sunday, TJ McGovern, the Interim Fire Chief for the Orange County Fire Authority, said firefighters discovered a crack in the tank late Saturday night, which could be relieving some of the pressure.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: california; democratcorruption; democratincompetence; gardengrove; gavinnewsom; highspeedrail; newsommethcooker; orangecounty

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To: Red Badger

Live stream -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Qug8ZRMko


21 posted on 05/24/2026 2:13:14 PM PDT by 4Liberty (One person’s Socialism is another’s neighborliness. -Tim Walz)
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To: Red Badger
Several evacuation centers were opened; however, many residents are still refusing to leave their homes.

I cannot blame them. In the recent fires that wiped out Pacific Palisades, many evacuated and would not be allowed to go back to their homes, or what might have been left of them, for weeks, while looters prowled the streets... as the police did nothing.

22 posted on 05/24/2026 2:15:15 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Conservatives can't afford to sit out. Vote like your freedom depends on it, it does!)
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To: Red Badger

Well, you’re in good hands with Allstate.


23 posted on 05/24/2026 2:16:28 PM PDT by Mark (I enjoy checking DONORS' lists)
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To: jacknhoo

What a wonderful opportunity to evacuate Orange County, burn it down, and redo it as housing for illegals at $40,000 per month per homeless person.


24 posted on 05/24/2026 2:18:24 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: AndyJackson

Garden Grove has a large asian population, but heck nothing would shock me, especially after what NewSCUM and Bass did to the Palisades for that sole purpose


25 posted on 05/24/2026 2:23:23 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Red Badger

Why can’t the tank be drained?


26 posted on 05/24/2026 2:24:06 PM PDT by ScottHammett
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To: cpdiii
Why is the tank getting hotter?

The chemical must be polymerizing, which can give off a lot of heat. Search "polymerization inhibitor" to learn more.

27 posted on 05/24/2026 2:26:04 PM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: kawhill

As a 40 year tanker driver I am wondering why they haven’t pumped this stuff into a couple of tankers. Unless it takes a special refrigerated tankers. I am sure they have lines that go into the buildings and could put a few thousand gallons into totes and onto refrigerated freight boxes and relieve the pressure.


28 posted on 05/24/2026 2:28:07 PM PDT by Retgearjammer
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To: Red Badger

Up to one hundred from seventy seven on Friday. I’m gonna call that a trend.


29 posted on 05/24/2026 2:28:48 PM PDT by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
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To: Red Badger

I have been keeping an eye on this and can’t understand how there isn’t a safety back up (empty tank)so as to be able to transfer any of the liquids they store in bulk for just such an occasion? If they have it nobody has spoken about it. From what little on site video there is I see the leak being doused with big water to dilute it I suppose Both gas and liquid.


30 posted on 05/24/2026 2:29:04 PM PDT by mythenjoseph (Islam is not compatible within a free society.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

“…residents not leaving” is NOT smart.”

You’d think! I’ve been wondering how much of this odd truculence is due to people being sick of government orders to “shelter in place” or to “wear a mask” or to “evacuate” and tough if you don’t like it?


31 posted on 05/24/2026 2:33:57 PM PDT by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
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To: Red Badger

Officials say possible crack in unstable chemical tank may relieve pressure at aerospace plant
https://www.foxnews.com/us/officials-say-possible-crack-unstable-chemical-tank-may-relieve-pressure-aerospace-plant


32 posted on 05/24/2026 2:34:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: ScottHammett

That’s my question exactly, what’s the problem.


33 posted on 05/24/2026 2:35:43 PM PDT by Licensed-To-Carry (John 14:6 Romans 10:9 Hebrews 9:27)
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To: Seaplaner

No.. the polymerization reaction generates heat.. a LOT of it. It’s exponential, once it gets going... hence the fear of an explosion


34 posted on 05/24/2026 2:46:39 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim
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To: TalBlack

Well... to be fair, government officials have, once again, been a BIT cautious in their recommendations. But they operate on the theorem, “Better safe than sorry”.

If I was within a mile? Any direction? I’d be gone.
If I was within 3 miles, downwind? I’d be gone.

I think the recommended area is 3 miles in every direction.


35 posted on 05/24/2026 2:50:47 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim
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To: Red Badger

Just in time for the June 2nd Mayoral race.


36 posted on 05/24/2026 2:51:50 PM PDT by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Bhopal by the Sea!


37 posted on 05/24/2026 2:56:59 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Licensed-To-Carry; ScottHammett

Couple of reasons...

1) Getting close to the tank, at this point, is very risky. It could GO at any minute,

2) It’s loaded with a monomer has an uncontrolled polymerization reaction on-going. What truck can handle that?

3) It’s 34,000 gallons. You’d need ~ 5 trucks.

Maybe? If they partially loaded trucks with inhibitor, to stop the reaction? But who will volunteer to hook that up?


38 posted on 05/24/2026 2:57:07 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim
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To: cpdiii
Why is the tank getting hotter? Unless there is a chemical reaction going on in the tank this should not be happening.

100% !! There is a reaction going on that shouldn't be happening. They didn't have enough inhibitor in the tank. They apparently can't get MORE into the tank. There are multiple mal-functions going on here.

39 posted on 05/24/2026 2:59:49 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim
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To: frank ballenger

And once again, Narcissus of Sacramento, is caught idle and enraptured; gazing at his own reflection in the rippling ponds of poo!


40 posted on 05/24/2026 3:01:11 PM PDT by lee martell
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