California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Orange County on Saturday, May 23, as the Garden Grove chemical incident continued to keep tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders.
The proclamation directs Cal OES and state agencies to support Orange County, Garden Grove, Anaheim, and other affected jurisdictions. It also opens the door for state-owned properties and fairgrounds to be used as shelter space if local evacuation centers need more room.
The emergency began at GKN Aerospace, 12122 Western Ave., where a tank containing methyl methacrylate overheated and vented vapors. Garden Grove's active evacuation zone ran from Ball Road to Trask Avenue and from Valley View Street to Dale Street Saturday afternoon, with the incident site near the center of the zone.
Evacuation centers were pet-friendly Saturday. Freedom Hall in Fountain Valley was full, while Savanna High School in Anaheim, Western High School in Anaheim, the Los Alamitos Community Center, the Costa Mesa Senior Center, and the OC Fairgrounds had at least some available space.
Disneyland Resort and Knott's Berry Farm were not under evacuation orders Saturday, but the incident remained a west Orange County travel and safety story for visitors already moving through Anaheim, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, Cypress, and Westminster. Beach Boulevard was closed from Garden Grove Boulevard to Orangewood Avenue, and State Route 22 off-ramps at Beach Boulevard, Knott Avenue, and Valley View Street were closed.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Orange County Fire Authority crews were still trying to control the damaged tank, and that an in-person temperature reading late Friday showed the tank had reached 90 degrees after earlier drone readings had measured only the outside of the tank.
The Friday evacuation orders reached Anaheim homes west of the resort area. Saturday's state action adds a new emergency-response layer while local officials continue waiting for the damaged tank to stabilize or fail.
Sources: Governor of California, state emergency proclamation, Cal OES, City of Garden Grove emergency information, Associated Press, and CrowdLevels background coverage.