Evacuation orders issued in California city over chemical tank: ‘It fails or it blows up’
An emergency hazmat incident at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, California, has prompted evacuations in the area, May 22, 2026. (KABC)
(CALIFORNIA) — An “emergency hazmat incident” in California has prompted evacuations, with officials warning that a chemical tank at an aerospace facility is in “crisis” and will either fail or explode.
Firefighters initially responded to a leak at an aerospace manufacturing company in Garden Grove on Thursday, for vapor releasing from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Officials updated Friday that there is no active gas leak or plume, but that the tank is “actively in crisis” and unable to be secured. Damage to a valve on the tank has “created additional operational challenges,” city officials said.
“There are literally two options left remaining: one, the tank fails and spills a total of about 6- to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area. Or two, the tank goes into a thermal runaway and blows up, affecting the tanks that are around them that have fuel or the chemicals in them as well,” Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said in a video update Friday.
“Most importantly, right now, there is no active gas leak, no plume in the area. We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options — it fails or it blows up,” he said.
Authorities have issued evacuation orders for the surrounding area. Over a dozen schools have temporarily closed, and those adjacent to the evacuation area are canceling outdoor activities “out of an abundance of caution,” the Garden Grove Unified School District said.
Methyl methacrylate is an industrial chemical used in plastics and manufacturing.
ABC News has reached out to the aerospace manufacturing company, GKN Aerospace, for comment.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the incident, his office said.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said it is “closely monitoring the incident in Garden Grove and has deployed personnel to work alongside local partners.”
“Please heed all orders from local authorities — evacuation orders have expanded,” it said Friday.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department announced on Sunday that a woman missing in Arizona is the mother of “Today Show” host Savannah Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
(NEW YORK) — There is evidence of a crime at the home of the missing 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, according to authorities in Arizona.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen in the Catalina Foothills area on Saturday night, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Her family reported her missing on Sunday around noon local time, authorities said.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators processed her home on Sunday and “saw some things at the home that were concerning to us,” and that it is considered a crime scene.
“She did not leave on her own, we know that,” Nanos said during a press briefing on Monday.
Nancy Guthrie is described as having some physical ailments and limited mobility, but does not have cognitive issues, her family said, according to the sheriff.
She takes medication that if she doesn’t have in 24 hours, “it could be fatal,” Nanos said Monday.
“So we make a plea to anyone that knows anything about this, who has seen something, heard something, to contact us, call 911,” he said, urging residents to check any home security cameras.
The search and rescue effort for Nancy Guthrie, which was conducted late into Sunday night “to no avail,” has ended for the time being, Nanos said.
“Right now, we don’t see this as a search mission, as much as we do a crime scene,” he said.
The FBI said it is assisting in the investigation.
There’s no indication at this time that the public is in danger, authorities said.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night by family members, Nanos said. Her children brought her home, where she lives alone, around 9:45 p.m. local time, according to Nanos. The following morning, her family got a call from their mother’s church saying she wasn’t there, he said.
“The family went to the house. I’m thinking they spent some time looking for her themselves before they called us,” he said.
Investigators found “circumstances on scene that we believe are suspicious in nature,” Sgt. David Stivers from the sheriff’s department’s homicide team, said during the press briefing Monday, though he did not go into further detail.
Authorities said they are reviewing the home’s security cameras and have Nancy Guthrie’s cellphone.
It is unclear if this was targeted, Nanos said. When asked whether Savannah Guthrie has received any threats, the sheriff said his department has been in touch with her security team and is unaware of any such threats at the moment.
“We’re not going to dismiss any angles for sure, but right now, immediately, we don’t know of anything like that,” Nanos said.
An NBCUniversal spokesperson confirmed early on Monday that Nancy Guthrie is missing and said the family is “working closely with local law enforcement.”
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” Savannah Guthrie said in a statement read by Craig Melvin on the “Today” show on Monday. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.”
“We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900,” the statement continued.
ABC News’ Cecilie Larcher contributed to this report.
The entrance to a U.S. Immigration and Customs detention facility in Dallas, Texas (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(DALLAS) — An Afghan immigrant who died after being in immigration custody for one day worked alongside U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan, according to an immigrant advocacy group.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died last week at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas, Texas. He is the 43rd person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump administration, according to lawmakers.
According to ICE, 36 detainees have died in ICE custody since Jan. 23, 2025. By federal law, ICE makes public all reports regarding detainee deaths while in custody within 90 days, according to the agency.
“For many years, Nazeer worked alongside American forces during the war in Afghanistan,” the group AfghanEvac said in a statement on behalf of Paktyawal’s family. “It was dangerous work, but he believed in helping bring stability to his country and protecting the people around him. After Afghanistan fell, the United States helped evacuate our family in 2021, and we came here hoping for safety and a better life.”
An ICE statement Sunday said that Paktyawal died Saturday morning at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, following his arrest the day before. It described Paktyawal as “a criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan” who had “a known criminal history,” including an arrest for alleged SNAP fraud and another for alleged theft, both last year.
The ICE statement did not address whether Paktyawal had assisted U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as AfghanEvac claimed.
AghanEvac said in their statement that Paktayawal had an open asylum application and did not have any criminal convictions. ABC News has so far been unable to independently confirm claims about Paktayawal’s alleged criminal record.
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday confirmed that Paktayawal entered the U.S. in 2021 but said that his parole expired in August 2025. The agency did not address questions about an active asylum application.
“In the late evening of March 13, ICE contacted Emergency Medical Services when Paktiawal [sic] began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains while in an ICE Dallas Field Office processing hold room,” the ICE statement said. “He was immediately transported to Parkland Hospital and received breathing treatment. The ER doctor recommended that he remain in the hospital for observation.”
“Early March 14, Paktiawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, prompting a medical response. After multiple lifesaving efforts were attempted, he was declared deceased at 9:10 a.m.,” according to the ICE statement.
Paktyawal “did not report any prior medical history” at the time of his arrest, the ICE statement said.
In a statement to ABC News on Monday, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said Paktyawal’s tongue was swollen and said that he “received an epinephrine drip.”
“Later that day, medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” Bis further said. “At approximately 9:10 a.m. CDT, a physician at Parkland Hospital pronounced Paktyawal deceased after multiple resuscitative efforts, including mechanical device and medical professional interventions.”
“No one in ICE custody is denied access to proper medical care,” Bis added. “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody.”
AfghanEvac stated that Paktyawal was preparing to drive his children to school when he was detained March 13.
“His children watched as he was surrounded and taken away,” the group said. “We still cannot understand how this happened. He was only 41 years old and was a strong and healthy man.”
Paktyawal served as an Afghan special forces soldier beginning in 2005 and worked alongside U.S. Army Special Forces for more than a decade, according to AfghanEvac, and was evacuated by the U.S. on Aug. 30, 2021, and resettled in Texas through Catholic Charities. Paktyawal had completed his asylum interview and held a work authorization and a valid Social Security number, AfghanEvac said.
The group said Paktyawal contacted his family members shortly after being detained on March 13 and said that he was not feeling well. He was admitted to a local hospital in Dallas that night and the family was informed on March 14 that Paktyawal had died.
“Mr. Paktyawal’s asylum case remained pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of his detention,” AghanEvac said in a statement.
“While ICE’s statement focuses on past allegations, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Paktyawal’s detention and death remain unclear,” the group added. “According to information currently available, those arrests did not result in criminal charges nor had Mr. Paktyawal been convicted of any crimes.”
(NEW YORK) — Before temperatures get warmer in the East next week, brutal cold is expected this weekend — the coldest of the season, so far, for parts of the Northeast.
Some of the coldest areas will also see accumulating snow to usher in the arctic blast.
On Friday morning, a quick snow shower will move through Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, blanketing the states in a dusting to 2 inches of snow.
Friday afternoon, snow will fall from eastern Kentucky through western Pennsylvania.
On Friday evening, scattered snow will be across Appalachia, from the Smoky Mountains to upstate New York. Up to 2 inches of snow is possible for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On Saturday, snow will fall over New England — mainly for all areas north of New York City — though some flurries or light snow may reach the city, leading to a dusting to an inch of snow there. Boston could see an inch or two of snow.
Higher snow totals are expected in New England, where 2 to 4 inches are possible for the eastern I-90 corridor, including Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Erie to near Cleveland.
This low to moderate impact winter storm will usher in another cold blast along with very windy conditions leading to brutal wind chills across the region.
These same areas seeing the most snow will also be under strong wind gusts, with wind chills plummeting to 30 below zero. An extreme cold watch is in place from Friday night through Sunday morning.
In parts of northeastern New York, such as Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, wind chills could drop to -35 degrees, which would cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
High temperatures in New York City will only reach the 20s on Saturday and the teens on Sunday. The lows will drop into the single digits for Sunday morning. Wind chills during the daytime this weekend will be mainly at or below zero due to gusts up to 50 mph on Saturday and gusts up to 30 mph on Sunday. Sunday morning wind chills could reach -15 in the city.
Boston and Buffalo, New York, could feel like the negative teens on Sunday morning and the negative single digits on Monday morning.
Next week, a slow pattern change is expected, with average to even above average temperatures possible for the East by the middle and end of next week. It will still be chilly, but given the brutal cold we have all been enduring, it might feel downright balmy.
