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.
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.
Covey 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.
The diversion would prevent the toxic chemical from reaching storm drains, river channels and the ocean, preventing an "environmental disaster."
"Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us," Covey said, noting that experts from across the country are consulting on the crisis.
Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon, allowing resources to flow to the scene.
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has been mobilized for more than 24 hours and state agencies are supporting impacted communities to protect public safety and assist local officials as response efforts continue, Newsom wrote in a statement on X.
40,000 Evacuated In Southern California As Chemical Tank Threatens Leak Or Explosion
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