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I'M MICHAEL HOLMES AND I'M SANDRA MITCHELL. SHARE HAS THE NIGHT OFF. THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN EVACUATED IN ORANGE COUNTY WHERE A CHEMICAL LEAK IS CAUSING A MAJOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. EMERGENCY FIRE OFFICIALS TONIGHT HOPING TO BUY THEMSELVES SOME TIME AFTER STABILIZING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE DAMAGED TANK THAT CONTAINS 6 TO 7,000 GALLONS OF A HIGHLY TOXIC CHEMICAL.
>> BUT THE DANGER IS STILL VERY REAL TONIGHT IF A SOLUTION IS NOT FOUND. THERE ARE CONCERNS OF A MASSIVE LEAK OR EVEN AN EXPLOSION. KTLA IS RACHEL MENITOFF HAS BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS JOINING US LIVE IN LOS ALAMITOS AWAY FROM THAT LEAKING TANK. HIGH RATE.
>> HI SANDY, HI MIKE. A GOOD EVENING TO BOTH. THAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY FROM THE AEROSPACE FACILITY WHICH HOUSES THIS COMPROMISED STORAGE TANK. NOW WHAT'S SO CONCERNING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE TANK WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY FAIL. WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AND WHAT THE IMPACT WILL BE TO THE COMMUNITY WILL NO ONE REALLY KNOWS AT THIS POINT.
WHEN WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO GO HOME? THAT'S TOXIC WASTE ALL OVER THE PLACE. WORRY, CONFUSION, A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS PEOPLE IN GARDEN GROVE IN NEIGHBORING AREAS ARE TOLD TO PACK UP AND LEAVE INDEFINITELY. THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE HANDED.
A LEAKING TANK OR TAKE THAT BLOWS UP. CRAIG COVI ON THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY IS TALKING ABOUT THE CHEMICAL STORAGE TANK INSIDE GKN AEROSPACE ON WESTERN AVENUE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. IT STARTED HEATING UP AND SPEWING VAPORS INTO THE AIR.
IT'S FILLED WITH 7,000 GALLONS OF METHYL METH ACRYLATE, A CHEMICAL USED TO MAKE PLASTICS. WE KNOW IT'S HIGHLY FLAMMABLE AND TOXIC, BUT THE FULL EXTENT OF ITS EFFECT ON PEOPLE IS UNKNOWN.
INITIALLY, CRUZ FELT LIKE THEY HAD A GOOD HANDLE ON THE SITUATION, BUT THINGS TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE.
PEOPLE LIKE TOBIN CHRISTOPHER GOT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR AT 05:45 AM FRIDAY TELLING HIM HE HAD TO ONCE AGAIN EVACUATE. I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS CHEMICALS IN THIS AREA AND.
THE BACKUP THAT CLOSE. NOW THERE'S ONE OF 2 OPTIONS AND NEITHER ONE IS GOOD. THE TANK WILL CRACK AND LEAK OUT CHEMICALS ONTO THE GROUND OR WORST CASE SCENARIO. IT EXPLODES.
THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN UNLESS SOME BRILLIANT GUY BEHIND ME HERE FIGURES OUT HOW WE CAN MITIGATE THIS INCIDENT. PARAMEDICS WHEELED PEOPLE OUT OF THE NEURO RESTORED OF CONGREGATE LIVING FACILITY WHICH SITS DOWNWIND FROM THE TANK TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL. SOME OF THEIR PATIENTS ARE ON ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT. FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO LIVE NORTH OF TRASK AVENUE, SOUTH OF BALL ROAD, EAST OF VALLEY VIEW STREET AND WEST OF DALE STREET ALSO NEED TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
THE EVACUATION ORDERS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. THE POSSIBILITY THAT CHEMICALS COULD SPREAD INTO THE AIR. HONESTLY, EXCEEDINGLY SCARY. J KERRY TOOK HIS WIFE, DAUGHTERS AND DOG AND HEADED TO SAFER GROUND, NOT KNOWING WHEN HE'LL BE ABLE TO GO HOME. THIS SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
AND THERE ARE 2 NEW VAX CENTERS TO TELL YOU ABOUT TONIGHT. THE FIRST ONE IS AT SAVANNAH HIGH SCHOOL IN ANAHEIM. THE SECOND ONE IS AT FREEDOM HALL IN FOUNTAIN VALLEY. NOW THE CHALLENGE HERE IS THERE IS NOT A PRECEDENT FOR THIS KIND OF HAZMAT EMERGENCY. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. SO CREWS ARE SIMPLY TAKING IT HOUR BY HOUR. THAT'S THE VERY LATEST FROM LOS ALAMITOS OF RACHEL MENITOFF. WE'LL SEND IT BACK TO IN THE STUDIO. THANK YOU RACHEL FROM THE GROUND OR THE AIR LIVE TO GET A LOT OF US OVER THAT GARDEN GROVE HAZMAT THREAT IN SKY 5 GILL.
MY CONSENT OR YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE TANK STILL DOUSED WITH THAT WATER FROM THAT RIVER REMOTE WATER CANNON HERE AT THE SCENE. LET ME COME OUT TO A WIDER SHOT TO SHOW YOU AGAIN THE EVACUATION ZONE AREA THAT RATE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. AS THEY COME OUT WIDE, WE STILL CAN'T GET THAT THE ENTIRE AREA PUT INTO INTO THE SCREEN HERE. BUT LET ME BRING IN OUR MOVING MAPS SITUATION HERE AND GOING TO PAN TO THE LEFT. THIS IS GOING TO BE GOING UP BEACH BOULEVARD, PAUL ROAD. THAT'S THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF EVACUATION AREA. WAY OUT THERE. THAT'S QUITE A DISTANCE. IN FACT, IT'S ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THERE ALL THE WAY OVER TO TRASK STREET, WHICH IS OVER HERE ON THE TARGET THAT YOU SEE IN YELLOW THERE. BOULEVARD AND TRASK. SO THAT'S THAT'S JUST THAT'S THE AREA GIANT. IT'S A 3 MILES BASICALLY NORTH AND SOUTH AND ABOUT 2 AND A HALF MILES FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST. SO RIGHT NOW, IT'S VERY STRANGE TO SEE THE STREETS COMPLETELY EMPTY, ESPECIALLY STREETS LIKE THAT GOLDEN WEST AND BEACH BOULEVARD THAT ARE ALWAYS BUSY, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS, BUSY TRAFFIC AREAS THE ORANGE COUNTY AREA. BUT AGAIN, SITUATION CONTINUES HERE TONIGHT WITH THE TANKS BEING COOL DOWN AND THAT'S SOME GOOD NEWS THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE STARTING TO GET COOL DOWN HERE AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A RESOLUTION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THAT'S THE LATEST OVERHEAD UP IN SKY 5. SEND IT BACK IN THE STUDIO.
YEAH, I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HOPING FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT BILL, THANK YOU. OFFICIALS SAY THE HIGHLY TOXIC CHEMICAL POSES SEVERE HEALTH RISKS.
TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. EXPERTS NOW WARNING EXPOSURE COULD HARM RESIDENTS. RESPIRATORY OR NERVOUS SYSTEM.
OFFICIALS STRESSING THAT SMELLING THE SCENT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT SOMEBODY WILL GET SICK, BUT THEY WANT RESIDENTS TO REPORT ANY UNUSUAL FRUITY ODOR IN THE AIR.
EMERGENCY CREWS CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE SURROUNDING AREAS. HEALTH OFFICIALS WORKED TO REDUCE THE RISK TO NEARBY COMMUNITIES.
RESPIRATORY IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN. SO IT'S A RESPIRATORY IRRITANT. SO IT CAN START OFF VERY MILD. BUT IT CAN PROGRESS TO A POINT WHERE YES, YOU WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION IF NOT MORE. WHEN YOU HAVE LIMITED SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE, MEANING MAYBE YOU INHALED SOME OF THE VAPOR.
IT CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT IRRITATION IN THE LUNGS, THE NASAL PASSAGES.
OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CRISIS CAREFULLY BECAUSE RACHEL MENTIONED JUST A MOMENT AGO, THEY HAVE NOT FOUND A PRECEDENT FOR THIS TYPE OF HAZMAT EMERGENCY. AND OF COURSE, STAY WITH KTLA FOR THE VERY LATEST ON THE CHEMICAL TANK EMERGENCY IN GARDEN GROVE. WE'LL BRING YOU UPDATES AS WARRANTED THROUGHOUT THE HOUR WITH ANOTHER LIVE REPORT ON OUR KTLA 5 NEWS AT 11 FOR.