LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Thousands of Orange County residents are returning home after officials announced the threat of a catastrophic explosion in Garden Grove has been eliminated. Authorities have since reduced the evacuation zone, allowing approximately 65% of evacuated residents to return to their homes.

“What I’m stating, and I want to be very clear. The threat of a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) has been eliminated,” OCFA Interim Fire Chief, T.J. McGovern said.

As first responders continue assessing the damage in Garden Grove, the incident rings similar comparisons to a devastating explosion that shook City of Henderson residents nearly four decades ago.

In May 1988, what began as a small fire at the PEPCON plant in Henderson sparked a series of massive explosions that rattled the entire community. The blasts left lasting memories for those who witnessed them firsthand.

“I still have nightmares. I will probably have nightmares for the rest of my life,” said retired Henderson Fire Capt. Donald Griffie.

In a recent interview with News 3, Griffie recalled being among the first crews on scene when the PEPCON fire erupted. Griffie recounts the explosion which was caused by ignited ammonium perchlorate; a chemical used in rocket fuel threw him and several others several feet into the air.

“The second explosion happened and I was on the ground and the next thing I know, my driver was hollering where am I and he climbed up into the ladder truck and it had blown me up into the bed of the ladder truck,” Griffie added.

County fire investigators determined the PEPCON fire was sparked by a welding torch. Griffie explained the mechanics behind the explosions that destroyed the site near Gibson Road and Interstate 215.

“What happened is those were two buildings that process ammonium perchlorate. It’s like a gas can. The heat was overcoming the building and eventually the gas expanded more than it could release, and that is what the explosions were, and those buildings were completely gone,” Griffie said.

Similarly, the Garden Grove incident, which began Thursday, prompted crews over the weekend to contain and cool a 7,000-gallon tank leaking what California officials described as a toxic chemical used in the manufacturing of resins and plastics.

While some raise concerns over a possible BLEVE explosion, California officials have said as of Monday the threat has been reduced, in part because a crack in the tank may be relieving some of the pressure building inside.

“With the threat of a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) we look at a blast pattern, and all the data and intel show if you have a BLEVE with this chemical, this tank, you need this much radius. That’s been eliminated. So, if we don’t need that much area for the zones, it could potentially be shrunken. So that’s what we’re all doing right now to vet and validate those,” McGovern added.

Despite the reduced threat, authorities warned there are still ongoing safety concerns.

“There’s still a threat out there, and we need the public to keep to those evacuation zones until we deem it safe for them to come back,” officials said. “We understand the difficulties and the challenges of when we make these evacuation zones. Our communities are out of their houses; they’re out of their normalcy the way they’re living. We want them back, we really do, but we cannot allow them back when there is a safety element to them and their well-being,” T.J. McGovern said.

Nearly 800 emergency workers continue operating around the clock in response efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom has also secured federal assistance to support operations in the impacted community.

When Eddie and Eva Bloor purchased their Cowlitz County, Wash., home in 2004, they had no idea the house had been used for methamphetamine production. Neither the sellers nor the real estate brokers disclosed to the Bloors that toxic chemicals had been found at the residence.

The newly minted homeowners were shocked when the local health department caught wind that the property was contaminated and deemed it unfit for occupancy. The Bloors were ordered to immediately vacate the residence and not remove any of their personal belongings due to the risk of cross contamination. They left with only the clothes on their backs and had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to relocate and replace virtually everything they owned.

Due the high cost of moving and replacement of clothing, furniture, electronics, appliances, toothbrushes and who knows what else, the property went into foreclosure. Shortly thereafter, the Bloors filed suit against the agents and former owners. Almost four years passed before the case finally made its way through the judicial process. In the end, the displaced homeowners were compensated for their losses and awarded punitive damages.

While the sellers and brokers were obligated to disclose the existence of the meth lab prior to the sale, the State of Washington had no law on the books that required law enforcement to disclose the existence of toxic chemicals to any persons or agencies. The same was true in New Mexico until Jan. 1, 2008, when a new law took effect requiring law enforcement agencies that bust meth labs to immediately post a warning on the property and notify the owners and/or renters that toxic chemicals were found on the premises.

The law also makes it mandatory for law enforcement agencies to notify the New Mexico Environmental Department’s (NMED’s) Hazardous Waste Bureau, which posts the addresses of the contaminated properties on its website https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/clandestine-drug-laboratories/ until they’ve been cleaned up to the standards outlined in the law. Addresses of properties that were the subject of federal enforcement actions are also listed on the site.

Until full remediation of the problem has been completed and approved by NMED, owners cannot sell, rent or otherwise occupy the property. When the property is ready for the open market, owners are required to disclose in writing to buyers or renters that a meth lab was found on the premises and that full remediation was completed in accordance with the law. Violation of the statute is a criminal misdemeanor and can also result in a civil fine of up to $10,000 per day.

This is not the only housing-related disclosure law on the books. New Mexico law (NMSA 1978 § 47-13-2) says your real estate broker and/or the seller of the home you’re considering purchasing or leasing “shall not be liable for failure to disclose and shall not have a duty to disclose to any person who buys or leases a property that the property was the site of a natural death, a homicide, suicide, assault or sexual assault; that the home was occupied by a person with AIDS or who is HIV positive or that a crime punishable as a felony was committed on the premises”. Such properties are often referred to as “stigmatized”.

Federal law goes even further, making it a crime to disclose that a current or former occupant of a home, mobile home or apartment has or had AIDS or was or is HIV positive.

What about ghosts, you ask? According to a 2013 Harris Poll, 42 percent of us believe that such disembodied spirits exist. Unfortunately, we’ll probably never know if any of them inhabit a particular residence unless they themselves decide to tell us.

The State of New Mexico has additional resources that prospective homeowners and tenants can tap to evaluate a property or neighborhood. Soon-to-be occupants can check the New Mexico Sex Offender Registry athttps://sheriffalerts.com/cap_office_disclaimer.php?office=55290&fwd=aHR0cDovL2NvbW11bml0eW5vdGlmaWNhdGlvbi5jb20vY2FwX21haW4ucGhwP29mZmljZT01NTI5MA==  to determine if any registered offenders live in the area.

Think a neighbor may be a felon or has been arrested in the past? Homebuyers and renters can determine if such persons live nearby by looking up names of interest on the state’s Judiciary and Court website athttps://caselookup.nmcourts.gov/caselookup/.

Another method of assessing the character of a neighborhood or street is do what the cops do on occasion – stake it out. Drive through the area or park for a while on the street where you intend to reside. Evenings and weekends provide the best opportunity to get a sense of the amount of vehicular traffic, number of toddlers, teenagers, and general personality of the area. It’s also a good idea to speak with a few of the neighbors, some of whom will undoubtedly gossip ‘til your ears begin to melt. Want to dig a bit deeper? Log into the Las Cruces Police Department’s Community Crime Map https://communitycrimemap.com/.

OREGON DUNES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, OR — A crash involving two dirt bike riders and a side-by-side in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area turned deadly Sunday evening, prompting an airlift response from the U.S. Coast Guard.

On May 24, 2026, at 5:01 p.m., the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Hauser Fire Department, Bay Cities Ambulance and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to an ATV crash near Railroad Hill in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

A deputy arrived at the scene and assessed injuries with medics. They requested a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station North Bend to airlift a 35-year-old man who needed trauma care and needed to be expedited to the hospital. The Coast Guard hoisted the man and flew him to Bay Area Hospital, but he later died from his injuries.

The other dirt bike rider, a 13-year-old boy, suffered multiple broken bones throughout his body. Hauser Fire and Bay Cities Ambulance took him to Bay Area Hospital. Because of the severity of his injuries, Bay Cities Ambulance later transported him from Bay Area Hospital to Portland for pediatric medical care.

Investigators said both dirt bike riders were wearing proper riding gear, including helmets and flags. The side-by-side also had the required safety equipment and a flag.

The deputy’s investigation included interviews with multiple witnesses. Investigators said the side-by-side was traveling south near Railroad Hill while the two dirt bike riders were traveling north. The side-by-side operator saw the dirt bike riders and came to a complete stop before the crash, but the dirt bike riders did not see the side-by-side and jumped the dune. Investigators said one rider landed on top of the side-by-side, while the other attempted to brake but was unable to stop and struck the stationary side-by-side head-on.

Speed and jumping without a spotter were contributing factors, investigators said.

The Sheriff’s Office reminded riders of quads, dirt bikes and side-by-sides that jumping without a spotter is a violation and unsafe, and urged riders to always have a spotter and a clear landing area when jumping. The Sheriff’s Office also sent condolences to those involved.