CNN —
People living near a power plant in Central California were ordered to evacuate their homes Thursday night after a fire broke out at the facility, officials said.
Fire crews were battling the blaze at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which serves as a battery storage site, a spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.
The incident is not connected to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, and efforts to contain the blaze are ongoing, the spokesperson confirmed.
The fire erupted at the facility around 3 p.m., and evacuation orders were issued around 6:30 p.m. due to concerns over hazardous materials and potential chemical releases, the sheriff’s office spokesperson said without detailing which materials were causing concern. More than 2,000 people were told to evacuate, the spokesperson said.
The sheriff’s office deployed drones to assess the severity of the situation and monitor air quality, Monterey County Spokesperson Nicholas Pasculli told CNN. Emergency services, including sheriff’s deputies and medical teams, were fully mobilized, Pasculli added.
The fire is active with no suppression efforts underway, and firefighters believe the best course of action is to allow it to burn, the sheriff’s office spokesperson said. Drone footage revealed approximately 40% of the building housing lithium-ion batteries on the property has been consumed by flames, the spokesperson said.
CNN reached out to the North County Fire Protection District of Monterey for details.
CNN reached out to Vistra Energy for comment.
The company confirmed to CNN affiliate KSBW its 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. All site personnel were safely evacuated, Vistra told KSBW. “The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished,” the company said.
The Moss Landing Power Plant, about 77 miles south of San Francisco, is owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy and houses tens of thousands of lithium batteries. While the US Department of Energy states these batteries play a crucial role in storing electricity generated from renewable sources like solar power, the US Fire Administration warns firefighters should be cautious of potential chemical exposure during firefighting operations as lithium-ion batteries contain volatile electrolytes, and when exposed to high temperatures or physical damage can release flammable gases.
All North Monterey County Unified School District schools and offices will be closed on Friday due to the ongoing fire at the battery plant, according to a statement. The district serves more than 4,500 K-12 students, and covers a 70 square-mile area that includes neighborhoods in Castroville, Prunedale, Moss Landing, Aromas and parts of Salinas, its website says.
Santa Cruz County Public Health officials advised residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, turn off ventilation systems and limit outdoor exposure. Santa Cruz is north of Monterey.
To assist evacuees, the Castroville Rec Center has been designated a temporary evacuation point, according to the sheriff’s office.
The National Weather Service Bay Area shared satellite images of the fire on X, highlighting visible heat signatures from the blaze.
Officials have not determined when the evacuation order will be lifted.
The area is adjacent to major ecosystems, including the Moss Landing Wildlife Area, Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve and Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.
