Home to one of the biggest lithium-ion battery storage facilities, the Moss Landing Power Plant caught fire on Thursday, January 16, 2025. About 1,500 people in the Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough communities were evacuated in response to the fire, which also closed portions of Highway 1.
🚨#BREAKING: Evacuation orders have been issued after a lithium battery plant caught fire releasing hazardous toxins into the air⁰⁰📌#MossLanding | #Californa ⁰⁰Currently, numerous emergency crews are on the scene of a massive fire broke out at the Moss Landing Power Plant’s… pic.twitter.com/MMcpY0yka1
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 17, 2025
Evacuations and Safety Measures
Under orders of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, areas south of the Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, and west of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road were under evacuation. Residents were advised to shut windows and doors as well as turn off air systems in order to reduce smoke exposure. The Castroville Recreation Centre became home for a makeshift evacuation centre.
From @sccounty Update at 8:45 PM on 1/16/25 – Due to an ongoing large fire in Moss Landing, Santa Cruz County Public Health officials are advising residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems. Monitor local…
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) January 17, 2025
Impact on Transportation
To enable emergency response activities, the California Highway Patrol closed whole roads at Dolan Road and Castroville Boulevard as well as Highway 1 at Salinas Road and Merritt Street.
Facility Details and Previous Incidents
Run roughly 562,000 homes for up to four hours with the 750 megabytes battery storage capacity of the Texas-based Moss Landing Power Plant under ownership by Vistra Energy. Past incidents involving fires in 2021 and 2022 brought on by a faulty fire sprinkler system have occurred at the institution. The reason of the present Moss Landing fire is still under inquiry.
Community and Environmental Concerns
While Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said the incident was a major calamity, he pointed out that the fire was contained in a concrete building, therefore lowering the potential of spread. Residents were informed on possible air quality issues caused by the Moss Landing fire smoke.
There’s an ongoing fire at the Vistra Power Plant Moss Landing. Heat signature can be seen in satellite imagery. https://t.co/9HOW56poM7 #CAwx pic.twitter.com/sH3vGbZcVR
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) January 17, 2025
Educational Impact
The North Monterey County Unified School District said in response to the incident that all offices and schools would close Friday, January 17, 2025, so ensuring staff and student safety.
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Ongoing Investigation
Vistra Energy underlined that after the Moss Landing fire is completely extinguished, an inquiry on its source would start and affirmed that all on-site staff were safely evacuated. The corporation thanked local emergency responders for their help during this incident.
This event emphasises the need of strict safety precautions in big-scale energy storage plants, particularly those running lithium-ion batteries. The Moss Landing fire reminds us very much of the possible risks involved in such projects and the importance of constant awareness to stop such events in the future.