Fire at the Battery Storage Plant in California, one of the world’s largest

On By Littum

  • A fire broke out at California’s Moss Landing Power Plant on Thursday.
  • The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office urged residents near the plant to evacuate.
  • This is not the first time the facility has experienced fire, power outages or technical problems.

A huge fire has broken out at one of the world’s largest battery storage facilities in California.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said the North County Fire Protection District responded to a fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant in a X posts on Thursday.

Out of an “abundance” of caution, the emergency urged residents in nearby areas to close windows and doors, shut off air systems until further notice and avoid the area so emergency vehicles could respond.

A few hours later, it issued evacuation orders for areas of the facility and the closure of portions of California Highway 1.

National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area said heat signature could be seen in satellite images.

Neither Vistra Energy, the plant’s owner, nor the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office specified the cause of the fire, and they did not respond to requests for comment made after business hours.

It is not clear how much damage the fire has caused or whether it has been contained.

In one press release Texas-based Vistra Energy announced the plant’s expansion in 2023, saying it was one of the world’s largest battery storage facilities.

It is not the first time that the facility has experienced fires, power outages or technical problems. In 2015, a transmission tower at the power plant collapsedresulting in a significant power outage.

A failing heat detector also caused damage to the Moss Landing battery complex in 2021, and in 2022 a fire broke out at a nearby Pacific Gas & Electric-owned battery facility.

Thursday’s fire comes as wildfires in the Los Angeles area have ravaged more than 40,000 acres and killed at least 25 people.

AccuWeather has put the total estimated cost of the LA wildfires at 250 and 275 billion dollars.

This is a development story. Please check for updates.