50,000 California residents are waiting to see if officials can keep this chemical tank from exploding

A chemical tank in Southern California cracked after overheating, leading to vapor venting and evacuations for about 50,000 residents in Garden Grove. Fire officials planned an overnight operation to check whether pressure had been relieved, which would lower the risk of a catastrophic explosion. No injuries were reported. Authorities said there was one known crack, no active leak, and continuous atmospheric monitoring showed no chemicals escaping. Firefighters repeatedly sprayed the tank with water to cool methyl methacrylate inside. The tank’s interior temperature reached 100 degrees Sunday, rising since Saturday. Officials said the weekend crack may have helped relieve pressure. A state of emergency was declared and federal support was requested.

"Fire officials planned to send in a team for "an all-night mission" to determine if the pressure has been relieved, which would reduce the worst-case scenario of an explosion, Orange County Fire Authority interim chief TJ McGovern said in a video posted late Sunday to the agency's X account. "We are not there yet," McGovern said, urging residents to stay out of the evacuation zone while crews continued operations overnight."

"In a follow-up update posted on X, the Orange County Fire Authority said there was one known crack on the tank, disputing reports circulating online of multiple cracks. Officials also said there was no active leak and that continuous atmospheric monitoring confirmed no chemicals were escaping from the tank."

"Firefighters have repeatedly sprayed the tank with water in an attempt to cool the chemical inside, methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastic parts. The tank's interior reached 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) Sunday, an increase of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 Celsius) since Saturday, according to Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg."

"Officials said the crack discovered in the tank over the weekend may have helped relieve pressure, reducing the risk of a catastrophic explosion. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday and said he asked President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration to bolster federal support for local and state offi"

Read at Fast Company