A massive fire broke out at the Moss Landing battery factory south of San Jose, California, on Thursday, closing Highway 1 and prompting local authorities to order evacuations for about 2,000 residents.
The plant, owned by Vistra Energy, is one of the world's largest battery storage facilities, containing tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries that store power for the grid.
The fire broke out around 3 p.m. on Thursday, causing plumes of black smoke, but the cause is unknown. By 10 a.m. Friday, the fire had been reduced to less than 5 percent of its original size, North County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Joel Mendoza said.
The fire was unrelated to wildfires burning hundreds of miles to the south around Los Angeles.
On Thursday night, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation order for an approximately 8-square-mile area around the nuclear power plant. Residents in other parts of the region were asked to close windows and doors, turn off ventilation systems and avoid outdoor exposure until further notice while authorities monitor air quality. .
As of Friday morning, the evacuation order had not been lifted. Mendoza said preliminary results suggest the fire was not emitting any specific noxious gases known to pose a danger to the public, but authorities need to conduct further testing and He said he wanted to err on the side of caution before sending him home.
Lithium-ion battery fires can last several hours and produce toxic hydrogen fluoride gas. Fires are very difficult to extinguish, so firefighters often have to wait until they have burned out.
Bistra spokeswoman Jenny Lyon said all staff at the Moss Landing site have been safely evacuated and an investigation into the cause of the fire will begin once the fire is extinguished.
Since 2018, California has installed more than 13,000 megawatts of grid batteries, primarily to absorb excess solar power during the day and provide power to homes and businesses in the evening. By doing so, power companies are trying to reduce their dependence on natural gas, which contributes to global warming.
But concerns about battery fires are growing. Another battery facility owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., located right next to the Moss Landing plant, suffered a fire in 2022. Some residents near San Diego oppose a proposed battery storage facility because of the fire risk.
Although some battery companies are now using alternative chemicals that are less likely to catch fire, lithium-ion batteries are still the dominant technology today.
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said at a news conference Friday that the fire was a worst-case scenario and called for an independent investigation. “There has to be accountability for this,” Church said.
“This is more than just a fire; it's a wake-up call for our industry,” Church added. “To promote sustainable energy, we must deploy safe battery systems.”
