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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Residents have been told to stay indoors as a fire rages at one of the world's largest battery storage plants, in Moss Landing, California.
Lithium battery fires can be extremely difficult to extinguish and can release toxic chemicals and gases.
Monterey County health officials "are advising residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems" due to the fire, according to an emergency alert posted on the county's website.
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Newsweek has contacted Monterey County and the sheriff's office for comment via email, outside regular business hours.
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The Context
The fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant started at around 3 p.m. on Thursday, sending up towering flames and plumes of black smoke.
The fire was still burning early on Friday with some containment, and the blaze has not gone beyond the facility, Monterey County spokesperson Nicholas Pasculli told The Associated Press.
The incident does not appear to be related to the devastating wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area since early last week.
What To Know
The sheriff's office issued evacuation orders for parts of Moss Landing south of the Elkhorn Slough at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The Castroville Recreation Center is serving as a temporary evacuation point.
The sheriff's office also announced road closures at: Dolan Road and Castroville Boulevard, Highway 1 at Salinas Road and Highway 1 at Merritt Street.
The plant, located about 80 miles south of San Francisco, is owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy and stores tens of thousands of lithium batteries, which store electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar power.
"There is an ongoing fire at our Moss Landing Power Plant site. Our top priority is the safety of the community and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued assistance of our local emergency responders," Vistra spokesperson Jenny Lyon said in a statement to Newsweek.
"Vistra personnel called for assistance from the North Monterey County Fire District after a fire was detected in the 300-MW Phase I energy storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant site" on Thursday afternoon, Lyon said. She said everyone at the facility was safely evacuated.
Fires broke out at the Vistra plant in September 2021 and in February 2022 that were found to have been caused by a malfunctioning of the fire sprinkler system that caused some units to overheat, The Mercury News reported.
Lyon said that a cause for the fire that broke out Thursday has not been determined.
People in the area have been advised by Monterey County health officials to: "Monitor local news and social media for additional updates. Further information will be provided as the situation changes."
What People Are Saying
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church told KSBW-TV: "There's no way to sugar coat it. This is a disaster, is what it is."
Monterey County Sheriff's Commander Andres Rosas told the station that firefighters estimate about 40 percent of the building has burned. "There are no active fire suppression measures taking place. What that means is they are not putting water, foam, any substance on [the fire]," he said. "This fire is burning hot, according to fire personnel, and yes, these, the best thing for these batteries are for them to burn completely.
What Happens Next
Firefighters are continuing to battle the blaze. A spokesperson for Vistra Energy said the cause of the fire has not been determined but "an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished."
Update 1/17/25, 10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Jenny Lyon.
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