Firefighters in Southern California are racing against time to prevent an explosion in a tank of hazardous chemicals, which is heating up internally despite efforts to cool it.
The incident commander said the internal temperature of the tank, containing methyl methacrylate, a flammable chemical, has risen to 90 degrees Fahrenheit from 77 degrees Fahrenheit when responders pulled back.
The temperature is increasing by about one degree an hour, prompting officials to warn that the tank could rupture and spill up to 7,000 gallons of toxic material or explode.
Evacuation orders remain in place for an area covering tens of thousands of people in the Garden Grove suburb of Los Angeles, with officials urging residents to follow the orders.
