{"id":2738,"date":"2026-05-24T00:40:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T00:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/24\/california-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-looming-chemical-disaster\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T00:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T00:40:08","slug":"california-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-looming-chemical-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2738","title":{"rendered":"California governor declares state of emergency over looming chemical disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"38c2becc-dcf4-4eb9-8252-a903e8687348\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Water sprayed on chemical tank\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/c04e56794abe6c55ef54d366d91a7087e7be753f\/27_0_3161_2530\/master\/3161.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.1765264156912\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Water is sprayed on the tank that overheated in Garden Grove in Orange county on Friday.<\/span> Photograph: Jeff Gritchen\/The Orange County Register\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"38c2becc-dcf4-4eb9-8252-a903e8687348\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Water is sprayed on the tank that overheated in Garden Grove in Orange county on Friday.<\/span> Photograph: Jeff Gritchen\/The Orange County Register\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">California governor declares state of emergency over looming chemical disaster<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Order facilitates support for 40,000 people told to evacuate Orange county as responders try to divert explosion<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">California\u2019s governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to the looming threat of chemical disaster in Orange county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The proclamation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/california-orange-county-chemical-tank\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">directs the governor\u2019s<\/a> office of emergency services and other state agencies to provide additional support to Orange county responders. The governor\u2019s office is also making state-owned properties available to shelter the 40,000 people ordered to evacuate from the area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,\u201d Newsom said in a statement. \u201cWe are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make sure the community has what they need to stay safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"7171f06d-416f-449c-9b2c-705402a6ba96\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An empty four-lane highway.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/534b96999cf6f12ca48411ecaa00c903158da9fa\/0_0_5105_2868\/master\/5105.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"250.00195886385896\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7171f06d-416f-449c-9b2c-705402a6ba96\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Beach Boulevard was closed off after the evacuation order was given, in Garden Grove on Saturday.<\/span> Photograph: Ted Soqui\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"cc045d1c-a903-4ee9-a224-d1c3d9feda54\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Road Closed sign with police vehicles on empty street.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/5746b2026ebc4ff20022ed6219d81fa6ad684f81\/0_0_8192_5464\/master\/8192.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.8115234375\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"cc045d1c-a903-4ee9-a224-d1c3d9feda54\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A street in the evacuation zone is closed off to the public, in Garden Grove on Saturday.<\/span> Photograph: Ted Soqui\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Thursday, a storage tank holding methyl methacrylate began off-gassing and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/california-orange-county-chemical-tank\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">threatened to fail<\/a> at a facility in the town of Garden Grove owned by GKN Aerospace, local authorities say. The highly flammable chemical is used to fabricate resins and plastics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Local authorities say the tank, which holds 6,000-7,000 gallons of the chemical, will either explode or leak its contents into the parking lot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Firefighters have attempted to reduce the temperature of the storage tank by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/23\/us\/garden-grove-chemical-tank-orange-county.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">dousing it with water<\/a>. Those attempts appear to be failing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"add36b4e-8bd8-41b2-a24d-5019512e2f68\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Hanger-type building with cots set up.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/cc2a076a636a72f765f2eb8a110d4c1d5ce9f47c\/0_0_4032_2268\/master\/4032.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"250.3125\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"add36b4e-8bd8-41b2-a24d-5019512e2f68\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People arrive at Freedom Hall, an evacuation center, in Fountain Valley, California, on Saturday.<\/span> Photograph: American Red Cross Southern California Region\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An emergency response team entered the facility last night to try adding a neutralizing agent to a separate, nearby tank \u201cto reduce its explosive potential\u201d, Orange county fire authority division chief <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OCFireAuthority\/status\/2058230015490453900\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Craig Covey said in a video statement on Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">When the team saw the temperature gauge, the tank had reached 90F \u2013 about 13 degrees higher than the last time it had been read, the day before. Covey said the tank\u2019s temperature appeared to be rising by about 1 degree per hour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Emergency responders were preparing to dike and dam the contents in the event of a spill and mitigate health risks in the event of an explosion. At the same time, responders are trying to come up with \u201cout of the box\u201d strategies to avert the disaster entirely, Covey said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe\u2019re bringing people in from all over the country, talking to people all over the place, trying to come up with additional options,\u201d Covey said. \u201cLetting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US news<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/california\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">California<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/business\/chemical-industry\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Chemical industry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=California%20governor%20declares%20state%20of%20emergency%20over%20looming%20chemical%20disaster&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/23\/california-state-of-emergency-chemical-disaster?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F23%2Fcalifornia-state-of-emergency-chemical-disaster&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/23\/california-state-of-emergency-chemical-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Water is sprayed on the tank that overheated in Garden Grove in Orange county on Friday. Photograph: Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}