Thousands can return home after ‘catastrophic’ explosion risk at California tank is averted

The risk of a “catastrophic” explosion at a chemical tank in a Los Angeles-area city was averted by Monday, but around 16,000 people remained under evacuation orders as some risks remained, officials said

The risk of a “catastrophic” explosion at a chemical tank in a Los Angeles-area city was averted by Monday, but around 16,000 people remained under evacuation orders as some risks remained, officials said.

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The liquid in the 7,000-gallon tank of methyl methacrylate at the Garden Grove facility started to overheat Thursday following an issue with a valve in its refrigeration system, ushering in a tense several days as first responders and experts worked to avoid an explosion.

On Monday, officials said the biggest risk, of a potential “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion,” or a BLEVE, had been averted.