Briefly

UNITED STATES

Emergency declared after chemical incident

Firefighters warned on Saturday that a tank of toxic chemicals in California is heating up, adding to fears of a catastrophic explosion that has already forced tens of thousands of Californians to evacuate. About 40,000 residents were ordered to leave their homes in the Garden Grove area of Orange County on Friday after the tank began to leak, sending fumes over a heavily populated area. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the county on Saturday as emergency crews raced to cool down the tank, which contains 26,600 liters of methyl methacrylate — a volatile and flammable liquid used to make plastics. The situation has grown more urgent as temperatures inside the tank have continued to rise, reaching about 32 C on Saturday from 25 C a day earlier.