A chemical crisis that had put tens of thousands of Orange County residents on edge has taken an unexpected turn, after officials said the tank at the centre of the scare was no longer at risk of exploding. The update has shifted attention in Garden Grove from a looming disaster to what remains of the wider evacuation response and the long hours of disruption that followed.
The tank contained methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used in plastics manufacturing, and emergency orders had forced around 40,000 people to leave homes across parts of Orange County. Fire crews and local officials had spent days trying to stabilise the situation after fears the tank could rupture or ignite.
