The Orange County Fire Authority has announced the lifting of all evacuation orders related to the chemical leak incident at the GKN Aerospace facility. As of 7:30 pm PST, approximately 16,000 residents previously urged to evacuate are now permitted to return to their homes.

While officials have rescinded the evacuation orders, an exclusion zone remains in effect around the facility. This measure will enable hazardous materials crews to continue monitoring and addressing the affected storage tanks, which were the source of the leak.

The incident, referred to as the “Western Incident,” began on May 21, when fire crews responded to reports of a chemical leak from a storage tank containing methyl methacrylate, a flammable industrial chemical, which was being stored in a 34,000-gallon tank. The leak necessitated the evacuation of thousands of residents and businesses in surrounding communities.

Derek Tran, a local official, expressed gratitude towards the firefighters, law enforcement agencies, hazardous materials teams, and emergency responders who played critical roles in managing the incident. Tran confirmed that he had been briefed by fire officials on the status of the situation.

In a coordinated effort, several state and federal officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, and Representative Adam Schiff, pushed for a federal emergency declaration in response to the incident. Tran initially urged Governor Newsom to make a formal request to the White House, as such requests must originate from the governor’s office.

On May 24, leaders including Tran, Padilla, and Schiff sent a joint letter to President Donald Trump, advocating for the rapid approval of California’s emergency declaration request. Following Governor Newsom’s submission of the state request, President Trump approved the federal emergency declaration, which unlocks additional federal resources to aid local and state response efforts. This assistance may involve support from FEMA and the EPA, focusing on hazardous materials containment, environmental monitoring, air quality analysis, and emergency public health measures.

Furthermore, officials indicated that the federal declaration could allow for reimbursement of up to 75% of eligible federal emergency response costs linked to the incident.

As emergency crews continue to monitor the situation at the GKN Aerospace facility, authorities urge residents to remain vigilant and follow updates from local emergency agencies as response operations progress.