MOSS LANDING, Calif. — A significant fire erupted on Friday at one of the world’s largest battery storage facilities located in Northern California, generating hazardous smoke and forcing the evacuation of approximately 1,700 individuals while also leading to the closure of a major roadway.
The incident in Moss Landing began on Thursday, producing soaring flames and billowing clouds of black smoke visible from afar. However, by Friday morning, both the flames and smoke reportedly receded considerably, as stated by Fire Chief Joel Mendoza of the North County Fire Protection District of Monterey County. “There’s very little, if any, of a plume emitting from that building,” Mendoza commented, noting that firefighting crews have opted not to engage directly with the fire and are instead allowing it to burn on its own.
Authorities have confirmed that the fire has stayed confined to the facility itself, according to Monterey County spokesperson Nicholas Pasculli. By late Thursday, a temporary evacuation center had been established, with only a handful of evacuees remaining there, while many others sought shelter with friends or family.
The Moss Landing Power Plant, situated roughly 77 miles (125 kilometers) south of San Francisco, is owned by Vistra Energy, a Texas-based company, and houses tens of thousands of lithium batteries. These batteries are crucial for storing electricity generated from renewable sources, such as solar power. However, if ignited, these fires can prove exceedingly challenging to extinguish.
“This is a disaster, plain and simple,” Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church remarked during an interview with a local television station. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the fire wouldn’t extend beyond the concrete confines of the facility.
At an emergency meeting of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors held on Friday, residents raised concerns regarding the potential impact of the fire on air quality. One resident, Silvia Morales, criticized the fire department, alleging that they lacked proper fire retardants to control the blaze, which endangered the health of nearby residents, including those in Watsonville, located across county lines.
Prior incidents at the Vistra facility in 2021 and 2022 were attributed to malfunctions in the fire sprinkler system that caused overheating in some units. Batteries like those at the Moss Landing facility play a vital role in stabilizing the energy grid and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, which are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Being an early adopter of battery storage technology, California currently leads the nation with over 11 gigawatt-hours of capacity operational.
Experts assert that lithium batteries are critical for decreasing carbon emissions and enhancing grid reliability, although they pose a considerable risk of fire if subjected to damage or overheating.
Timothy Fox, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, a non-partisan energy research organization, stated, “We do not believe that this event will drastically change the increasing trend of grid-scale battery deployments nationally.” As of now, the cause of this fire remains undetermined, and Vistra has indicated that an investigation will commence once the fire is fully extinguished.
“Our foremost concern is the safety of the community and our workers. Vistra sincerely appreciates the ongoing support from local emergency responders,” said Jenny Lyon, a spokesperson for Vistra.
In light of the emergency, the North Monterey County Unified School District declared the closure of all schools and offices on Friday due to the fire-related circumstances.
