Fire at Moss Landing Power Plant triggers evacuation orders in Monterey County
Fire at Moss Landing Power Plant prompts evacuation orders in Monterey County
A fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant has triggered evacuation orders in Monterey County. It is unclear how the battery facility fire started. There are concerns about toxic fumes in the air. Residents as far as Santa Cruz County are being told to keep windows and doors closed and to limit outdoor exposure.
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. - Monterey County sent out an emergency alert system warning Thursday evening to say the North County Fire Department is responding to a fire at Moss Landing Power Plant.
A battery storage facility has caught fire. Some areas are under evacuation orders, officials said.
What we know:
The fire at the former power plant on Cabrillo Highway started at around 3 p.m. Crews are at the scene battling the blaze. No injuries have been reported, according to a Monterey County sheriff's official.
Fire at Moss Landing Power Plant triggers evacuation orders in Monterey County
Monterey County sent out an emergency alert system warning Thursday evening to say the North County Fire Department is responding to a fire at Moss Landing Power Plant. A battery storage facility has caught fire. Some areas are under evacuation orders, officials said.
The alert was posted just before 5 p.m. Area residents are being told to close windows, doors and shut off-air systems until further notice, out of an abundance of caution. A subsequent alert went out in Santa Cruz County where public health officials advised residents there to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, turn off ventilation systems, and to limit outdoor exposure due to the ongoing fire.
There are concerns about toxic fumes in the air.
At around 6:30 p.m. the Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for areas of Moss Landing South of the Elkhorn Slough, North of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, West of the Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean. More information on the evacuations can be found here.
A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Castroville Recreation Center at 11261 Crane St. in Castroville. Monterey County officials said the evacuation zone covers more than 7,600 acres. As many as 1,200 have been evacuated. The estimated number of people living in the evacuation area is between 1,200 and and 1,500 residents.
Monterey County officials said the evacuation order would remain in place for as long as necessary but did not indicate how long that may last.
Part of Highway 1 is closed as a result of the fire.
Residents are also being requested to stay out of the area to allow access for emergency vehicles.
MORE: Moss Landing fire map: Evacuation zones
What they're saying:
The plant that's on fire is operated by Vistra, but there is also a plant run by Pacific Gas and Electric. It is unclear how the fire started.
Vistra issued a statement that said the safety of the community and their workers is their priority.
A KTVU crew arrived on the scene to gather more information. The smell was described as unpleasant. Firefighters thought they had it contained around 5 p.m. but then it took off burning out of control.
"Earlier this afternoon, Vistra 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 at the Moss Landing Power Plant site," the statement read. Vistra said all personnel on site were safely evacuated. Once the fire is extinguished, Vistra will investigate the cause.
North County Fire Dept. is the lead agency working this fire, but several other agencies, including the sheriff's department, are posted in the area as well.
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said there have been fires at this location in the past but nothing to this extent. He said the fire is out of control in a concrete building.
The supervisor said he doesn't know how long this fire may be burning, but that flames have gown down significantly as the evening wore on and that the fire does not appear to be growing. Officials are telling area residents to bring any outdoor pets inside.
This is a developing news story. We will update with the latest details as they become available.
Bay City News contributed to this story.

Tesla Megapack batteries at the Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System next to the Vistra Moss Landing natural gas fired power plant in Moss Landing, California, U.S., on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. PG&E and Tesla Inc. have built the 182.5-megawatt

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