Officials lift evacuation orders for some California residents living near a damaged chemical tank

Emergency officials lifted an evacuation order Monday for some of the people who live near a damaged tank containing hazardous chemicals in Southern California after temperatures inside the tank fell enough to eliminate the risk of a catastrophic explosion.

There is no longer a risk of catastrophic explosion of the tank containing methyl methacrylate at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems plant in Garden Grove, near Los Angeles, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said during a news conference.

Officials ordered about 50,000 Garden Grove residents to evacuate their homes on Thursday after the tank overheated and pressure built up inside. A crack that was discovered Sunday has relieved some of that pressure and the temperature of the highly flammable gas inside is continuing to fall, authorities said.

An overnight evaluation of the tank containing 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate produced “incredibly positive news,” Covey said earlier Monday, although the risk to public safety is “ongoing.”

Authorities have detected no hazardous chemical levels as of Monday.

Officials said they needed to cool the tank to prevent a toxic leak or explosion. The tank’s interior had cooled to 93 degrees F (33.9 degrees C), Covey said Monday, down from 100 degrees (37.7 degrees C) a day e...