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Fire officials have released a clear andhaunting view of what damage could look likeif the toxic Garden Grove tank explodes, with its temperature increasing with each passing hour.
OCFA Division Chief Nick Freeman said Friday that blast zones would be divided into severe, moderate, and light blast zones in a radius around the tank.
The most severe blast zone will cause “severe structural damage and significant harm,” while the moderate zone will see structural damage and some harm. The lightest zone will see just some structural damage.
In addition, an oblong circle above the tank is divided into three zones representing further hazards caused by the chemicals: a red, orange, and yellow zone.
The red zone is the most lethal, representing a flammable area that could see fire or flash fires. Orange is still threatening and could cause injury to anyone who inhales the chemicals. The yellow area represents spots where residents could smell the vapors, but they would not be dangerous.
Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong was also at the news conference and said anyone smelling the chemicals will get notes of a strong fruity odor. But she said smelling the odor doesn’t mean you will have symptoms.
“We actually do know that when you smell it, you don’t typically have symptoms, and when you actually measure the levels in the air, it doesn’t mean it’s dangerous,” she said. She also urged people to evacuate and said a precautionary mask is unnecessary outside the evacuation zone.
She previously said the chemical involved, methyl methacrylate, can cause “significant irritation in the lungs, the nasal passages,” along with nausea and dizziness. Heavy doses of the substance could “cause severe respiratory distress and hospitalization.”
About40,000 people have evacuated, though about 15% of residents contacted by local officials refused to leave. Shelter systems have been strained as people flood in.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
