Forced evacuation orders were issued in California due to a leak at a huge chemical tank that caused toxic fumes,
The tank contained 7.000 gallons (26,000 liters) of methyl methyl methacrylate, a flammable liquid used to manufacture plastics,with firefighters warning that the worst-case scenario is to follow explosion.
“In addition to the hazardous substance spill, there is a risk of an explosion affecting other tanks containing fuels or chemicals,” authorities warned in the Garden Grove area of Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, where an evacuation operation is underway.
Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Fara said about 40,000 people are being evacuated, with several thousand refusing to leave their homes.
Covey said crews are preparing for a chemical spill,which he described as the “best case scenario” and certainly preferable to an explosion.
Special crews are putting up containment booms to prevent stormwater or river pollution that could end up in the ocean.
