California chemical tank near Disneyland at risk of exploding, 40,000 residents are ordered to evacuate

Natalie Bouriche, of Anaheim, sits on a cot where she spent the night, along with her son, Abde Atti, 16, seated behind her having evacuated to Freedom Hall, due to the chemical leak, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Fountain Valley, CA. Tens of thousands told to evacuate after a 34,000-gallon tank of methyl methacrylate leaked at an aerospace plastics facility, sending potentially toxic vapors into the air. Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Authorities are bracing for the possibility that a damaged chemical tank in Southern California could leak or explode as an evacuation order continued into the Memorial Day weekend for 40,000 residents with no timeline on when they can return. No injuries were reported after the pressurized tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors at a company site in Garden Grove, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Garden Grove is about 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles. Several shelters remained open Saturday, including at three high schools. Garden Groves is next to Anaheim, home to Disneyland's two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders as the Memorial Day weekend got underway. Park officials said they are monitoring the chemical incident and supporting park employees impacted by the evacuations. Firefighters' first hope is to find a way to cool off the chemical inside the tank so it won't leak or explode. …