Two residents in Garden Grove have filed a class action lawsuit against the aerospace company responsible for the facility where a compromised storage tank carrying a hazardous chemical forced roughly 50,000 people to evacuate their homes.
GKN Aerospace is accused of negligence, private and public nuisance, negligence and liability for ultrahazardous activity in a complaint filed on behalf of a husband and wife who live less than a mile away from the company’s facility in Garden Grove, it states. The lawsuit was filed by X-Law Group, P.C. and Presidio Law Firm LLP.
The complaint said that the plaintiffs “seek damages arising from property damage, evacuation related harm, nuisance conditions, displacement, and interference with the use and enjoyment of property.”
The emergency began Thursday when a pressurized storage tank carrying 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate overheated and began to emit vapors. Since then, thousands of residents were ordered to vacate their homes as crews monitor the compromised tank, which could leak or explode.
On Saturday, the Orange County Fire Authority said that internal temperature of the tank was recorded at 90 degrees, up from 77 degrees the day prior. OCFA Division Chief Craig Covey said the tank’s internal temperature was increasing on average by a degree an hour.
Efforts to keep a compromised chemical tank cool continue in Garden Grove as crews monitor the emergency situation. Elaine Bernal, chemistry and biochemistry lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, shares what exactly those efforts do and addresses the public’s concerns. This video was broadcast on Today in LA on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were “displaced from their residences, forced to incur evacuation-related expenses, deprived of the safe use of their homes, and subjected to fear, anxiety, annoyance, inconvenience, and distress arising from the threat of toxic exposure and catastrophic chemical storage failure.”
When reached for comment on the complaint, GKN Aerospace referred to a statement it released. The latest statement as of Sunday morning was as follows:
“We continue to monitor the condition of the affected material and are working round the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak. We are acutely aware of the uncertainty this incident is causing and sincerely apologise for the ongoing disruption to the local community. We are working closely with the Orange County Fire Authority, the EPA, OSHA, and all the relevant federal, state and local agencies, and remain deeply grateful for the dedication and expertise of all the emergency services and agencies involved. Our priority remains the safe resolution of this incident, so that residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible. Please continue to follow all instructions issued by local authorities and emergency personnel at this time.”