The vast majority of the 50,000 people evacuated because of a damaged chemical tank in Garden Grove that officials feared would explode have begun returning home as conditions are deemed safe.
“There was no contamination, there were no fumes, there were no vapors that came from this incident,” said Orange County health officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong. “There was no leak.”
People who live in areas where evacuations were lifted should feel safe to return, she said.
“You should feel comfortable going home, even if you’re across the street from that new zone line,” she added, referring to the smaller evacuation area.
The five-day crisis eased Monday as officials determined the overheated tank would not cause a massive explosion. But they stressed that the danger was not over in the immediate area around the aerospace facility in Garden Grove, an area that remains under evacuation.
Authorities worked again through the night on the tank, and wouldn’t revisit their decision to keep 16,000 people under evacuation orders until Tuesday morning, officials said, disappointing evacuees hoping to return home Monday evening.
“We want to get you home as soon as possible and our goal is to do that as soon as it’s safe to do so,” said Greg Barta, a spokesperson with the Orange County Fire Authority, during an incident update Tuesday morning.
Overnight workers checked tank temperatures every 30 minutes. Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said those temperatures were “trending in the right way.”
Allan Chaidez, center, and his father, Guillermo Chaidez, return home to Stanton on Monday after evacuating.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
As the temperatures continue to stabilize, the risk of a catastrophic tank failure — and a hazmat spill or fire — goes down.
“Once we rule that out is when we can get the residents back in,” Covey said.
The tank’s temperature was holding at 92 degrees Tuesday morning, according to Barta.
Officials are also monitoring runoff water to make sure no contaminated water escapes. To cool the tank, they’ve used millions of gallons over the last five days, one official said.
Around 16,000 people remain under evacuation as officials continue to address possible fire, leak and small explosion concerns.
The new evacuation zone consists of Orangewood Avenue to the north, Dale Street to the east, Knott Street to the west and Garden Grove Boulevard to the south.
“Nothing is worth risking, endangering your lives by trying to go back to your home while there is an evacuation order still in effect,” said U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) “Don’t put your lives at risk, and don’t put the lives of first responders at risk by getting in their way.”