The vast majority of the 50,000 people evacuated because of a damaged chemical tank officials feared would explode began returning home, and officials said conditions in the area are safe.
“I want to reassure everyone who is outside of the new evacuation zone that, when you go home, you can feel safe,” said Orange County health officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong. “There was no contamination, there were no fumes, there were no vapors that came from this incident. There was no leak.”
She said people who live in areas where evacuations were lifted should feel safe to return.
“You should feel comfortable going home, even if you’re across the street from that new zone line,” she said.
The five-day crisis eased Monday as officials determined the damage 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, which 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.
Overnight workers planned to check 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 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,” OCFA division chief Craig Covey said.
The tank’s current temperature is around 50 degrees, according to Hazmat Branch Division Chief Nick Freeman, down from a peak of 100 degrees.
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 their work to avoid 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. Don’t put your lives at risk, and don’t put the lives of first responders at risk by getting in their way,” said U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff.
