California governor Newsom declares emergency over chemicals tank blast risk
May 25, 2026
Washington [US], May 25: California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County in response to the risk of explosion following a leak from a chemicals tank in the Greater Los Angeles area. The authorities had been mobilized for more than 24 hours and were working to contain the risk, Newsom posted on X late on Saturday. The move allows California to seek federal assistance from Washington. Tens of thousands of area residents were advised to leave their homes, with some 40,000 heeding the call to spend the night in hotels, in their cars or in the emergency accommodation provided by the authorities.