State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) told The Times on Friday night that he was deeply concerned about residents who have chosen not to evacuate neighborhoods near a damaged chemical tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove.

“I am very concerned about those who stay,” Umberg said. “But I’m also concerned about the first responders that something catastrophic happens — and sadly, there’s a fairly significant potentiality of something really bad happening, that those first responders are going to have to risk their lives to go get those people.”

He added that “the overwhelming majority are taking this seriously and evacuated.”

Umberg, whose north Orange County district includes portions of Garden Grove, said people living within the evacuation zone should take their pets with them because it is unclear how long the emergency will last.

Neighbors, he added, need to check on each other, in case they somehow missed the news.

“This is not a drill,” he said. “This is very, very serious. This tank could explode.”

Umberg acknowledged that the evacuation was a disruption and said that “somebody is going to be held responsible.”

“If you incurred expenses because you were evacuated, we’re going to do the best we can to make sure that those responsible make you whole,” Umberg said.

Read more here: Los Angeles Times