State of emergency declared amid potentially explosive Orange County chemical incident

A state of emergency has been declared for Orange County, 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, amid the ongoing chemical incident in Garden Grove that has led to about 40,000 people being evacuated and could still result in an explosion. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced the emergency declaration around noon Saturday, two days after the incident was first reported at GKN Aerospace on Western Avenue. It was later determined by Orange County Fire Authority crews that a tank at the facility was leaking methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable liquid used to make acrylic plastics.   

“Taking proactive steps to protect Californians, Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a state of emergency proclamation for Orange County as the state continues to assist in local response efforts following a hazardous chemical incident at an aerospace facility that has resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents from the surrounding area,” the governor’s office said in a statement.  

More on this developing story at KTLA.