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CBS L.A. MORNINGS starts with breaking news.
BREAKING THIS MORNING: FIRE OFFICIALS ARE CALLING IT A TICKING TIME BOMB OF TOXIC CHEMICALS, AND IT HAS FORCED THE EVACUATION OF MORE THAN 40,000 PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY.
AUTHORITIES SAY THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE OUTCOMES HERE, AND NEITHER ONE SOUND GOOD. CBS L.A.'S ELISE MARTINEZ LIVE OUTSIDE THE COMMAND CENTER AT GKN AEROSPACE WITH NEW INFORMATION. ELISE, WHAT IS THE SITUATION THERE NOW?
GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH. YES. MULTIPLE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN OUT HERE ALL NIGHT LONG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A THIRD SOLUTION TO PREVENT THAT TAKE FROM EITHER EXPLODING OR LEAKING OUT. AUTHORITIES SAY THEY'RE HAVING TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. LET'S TAKE A LOOK BEHIND YOU. SHOW YOU THE COMMAND CENTER HERE THIS MORNING, AT PEOPLE BUSY ALL NIGHT MONITORING THE SITUATION. AS YOU MENTIONED, IT IS LIKE A TICKING TIME BOMB. NOW, LET'S SHOW YOU SOME NEW VIDEO FROM OVERNIGHT. YOU CAN SEE WATER BEING SPRAYED ON THE CHEMICAL TANK EARLY THIS MORNING. SIGNS ALSO FLASHING IN THE EVACUATION ZONES; BUSINESS AND GAS STATIONS ARE TAPED OFF. CROWDS OF PEOPLE POURING INTO THIS EVACUATION CENTER AT SAVANNAH HIGH SCHOOL IN GARDEN GROVE, WITH ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS. ACCORDING TO THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY, THE TANK IN CRISIS STILL CONTAINS AN ESTIMATED 7000 GALLONS OF METHYL METHYL LIGHT, A CHEMICAL USED IN PLASTIC MANUFACTURING. LAST NIGHT, THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY GAVE AN UPDATE, SAYING FIRE CREWS WERE MAKING PROGRESS, STABILIZING THE TEMPERATURE OF THAT CHEMICAL TANK BY HITTING IT WITH WATER. THE TEMP IS DOWN TO AROUND 61 DEGREES, BUT 50 DEGREES IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. THAT'S BUYING THEM SOME TIME, AS A TEAM OF EXPERTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE BRAINSTORMING A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO PREVENT THE SELF-HEALING EPOXY FROM REACTING, REACTING AND TRIGGERING AN EXPLOSION.
WHAT CAN BE DONE? CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. GET ALL THESE BRILLIANT MINDS TOGETHER TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER SO THAT WE DON'T LET THIS BLOW UP. THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD. OUR GOAL IS NOT TO LET IT HAPPEN, AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO DO IT.
MORE THAN 44,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AFTER THAT GIANT CHEMICAL STORAGE TANK STARTED LEAKING THOSE TOXIC FUMES ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THOSE ORDERS INCLUDE SIX CITIES: GARDEN GROVE, ANAHEIM, CYPRESS, STANTON, BUENA PARK, AND WESTMINSTER. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS SOME PEOPLE ARE REFUSING TO EVACUATE. HEALTH OFFICIALS ADMIT THERE IS A LOT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE HEALTH EFFECTS. IF PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO THIS CHEMICAL, BUT THEY SAY YOU CAN GET VERY SICK, SO THEY ARE URGING PEOPLE TO BE CAUTIOUS. NOW, MONITORING WILL CONTINUE FOR 24 HOURS A DAY UNTIL THIS SITUATION IS RESOLVED. AGAIN, AUTHORITIES ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO BE PATIENT WHILE THEY FIGURE THIS OUT. WE ARE EXPECTED TO GET AN UPDATE LATER THIS MORNING, AND OF COURSE WE WILL BRING THAT TO YOU WHEN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT IT. GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
ALL RIGHT, ELISE, APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE. THANK YOU. HERE ARE THE THREE EVACUATION CENTERS ACCEPTING PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THIS INCIDENT: OCEAN VIEW HIGH IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, SAVANNAH HIGH SCHOOL IN ANAHEIM, AND JOHN F KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL IN LA PALMA. THE RED CROSS SET UP THE SHELTER AT JFK HIGH SCHOOL AND OCEAN VIEW OVERNIGHT.
WE WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE GARDEN GROVE SITUATION ALL WEEKEND ON CBS L.A.