Authorities in Monterey County, California lifted all evacuations Friday evening, at some point after a fireplace broke out at one of many world’s largest lithium battery storage amenities.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement shortly after 6 p.m. native time. Health officers nonetheless suggested residents close to the Moss Landing Vistra Power Plant, positioned about 90 miles south of San Francisco, to restrict outside publicity and to maintain doorways and home windows closed till additional discover.
Friday night’s announcement comes hours after the hearth, which started early Thursday night, flared up once more. The fireplace closed a portion of coastal Highway 1 that continues to be shut all the way down to visitors as the hearth continues to burn.
CBS News Bay Area
Monterey County officers held a second press convention Friday afternoon after the newest flare-up at round 1:45 p.m. produced one other spherical of flames and black smoke capturing into the sky.
Assemblymember Dawn Addis and Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, who spoke on the earlier press convention, addressed the media after the flare-up and voicing security considerations for his or her constituents.
“There’s been three incidents right here. There’s been the PG&E incident. It’s actually time to place a cease to it and take a breath and make it possible for we are able to guarantee the general public they’re protected,” mentioned Addis. “This incident does feel and appear very completely different. It’s a unique configuration, the hearth is completely different.”
However, by round 3 p.m., the flames had as soon as once more subsided and the black smoke being produced by the hearth turned white.
Also on Friday afternoon, CBS News Bay Area obtained a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the Moss Landing facility fireplace.
“Last evening, the Monterey Fire Department requested EPA technical help to supply perimeter air monitoring on the Vistra Moss Landing Power Plant in Moss Landing, Monterey County. EPA and contractors have been mobilized and arrived on scene. Additional EPA personnel, together with 4 air monitoring specialists, and gear are at present en route. The fireplace is ongoing, and EPA has joined Unified Command. At this time, Unified Command is led by the City of Monterey’s Fire Department.
Evacuation and security selections are being made by the Incident Command. EPA is supporting the native authorities by gathering air monitoring information to assist the hearth Incident Command and native public well being officers these selections. Please attain out to the native fireplace division for extra info.”
The fireplace began at round 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon at an influence plant and battery facility operated by Texas-based Vistra Energy. The plant is a pure gas-powered electrical energy era plant in Moss Landing, an unincorporated space of the county.
In a press release Thursday, Vistra mentioned its personnel “known as for help from the North Monterey County Fire District after a fireplace was detected within the 300-MW Phase I power storage facility on the Moss Landing Power Plant web site.”
The launch mentioned all web site personnel have been safely evacuated. An organization spokesperson mentioned, “The reason behind the hearth has not but been decided, however an investigation will start as soon as the hearth is extinguished.”
“Our high precedence is the protection of the group and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued help of our native emergency responders,” the assertion mentioned.
The fireplace started within the plant’s first lithium-ion battery power storage system which went on-line on the finish of 2020 and was expanded in 2023, turning into the world’s largest on the time, according to Energy Storage News. With the potential publicity to poisonous chemical compounds, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office began evacuating residents within the Prunedale and Elkhorn space, simply east and north of the hearth.
The fireplace is being allowed to burn itself out and it was unknown how lengthy that course of would take.
KION
“No energetic fireplace suppression is going down, the batteries should burn themselves out. No water can be utilized. This is customary motion for battery fires,” in keeping with an replace from the Monterey County Emergency Operations Center.
“Just fireplace,” Moss Landing resident Joel Bera instructed CBS News Bay Area. “That’s all and smoke. A number of visitors right here too. There was visitors about an hour in the past and this man instructed me they began to evacuate this space.”
Monterey County Communications Director Nick Pasculli mentioned roughly 1,500 residents have been evacuated.
In neighboring Santa Cruz County, public well being officers there have been additionally advising residents downwind of the incident to remain indoors, hold home windows and doorways closed, restrict outside publicity, and switch off air flow techniques. Residents are moreover suggested to watch native information and social media for added updates.
The fireplace led to some college closures. Hartnell College Castroville Education Center introduced it will be closed Friday as a result of fireplace out of security to college students and employees.
North Monterey County Unified School District additionally made the choice to shut all NMCUSD colleges Friday, citing well being and security considerations for college students and employees.
Weather circumstances serving to in Moss Landing
The one lucky aspect Thursday night was the climate. In an space recognized for heavy fog, it has been clear and nonetheless for many of the evening, permitting the smoke from the hearth to go up and out of the realm.
“The climate is cooperating, and all I can say is thank God for that,” mentioned Pasculli. “Wind as you already know what occurred in Southern California can do loopy issues, so we’re not coping with that happily.”
At a press convention Friday morning, Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, who represents District 2 the place the hearth happened, called the incident “a worst-case scenario of a disaster.”
“This is admittedly much more than only a fireplace. This is known as a get up name for this business,” mentioned Church. “And if we will be shifting forward with sustainable power, we have to have protected battery techniques in place.”
Church went on to notice that his constituents have questions on how and why the hearth occurred and promised accountability and transparency in the case of details about the hearth and its impacts.
Church additionally famous that the ability is on the mouth of Elkhorn Slough, an environmentally delicate wetland.
Chief Joel Mendoza of the North County Fire Protection District mentioned that the hearth was largely out as of Friday morning, however video from the facility plant confirmed that the hearth was nonetheless burning intensely and producing a column of smoke above the ability.
Mendoza mentioned the hearth was burning at a fee of 1% to five% Friday morning in comparison with the peak of the hearth between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday evening.
KPIX
The final fireplace on the facility was again in 2022. That was earlier than Vistra Energy went by a significant enlargement to its power storage capabilities.
Fire emergency companies and hazmat crews have been all current on the scene, however Monterey CBS affiliate KION reported that these crews gave the impression to be letting the hearth burn itself out. As of 10:30 p.m. Thursday, roughly 40% of the constructing containing batteries had burned.
Portion of Highway 1 closed
The Santa Cruz workplace of the CHP introduced that State Route 1 has been shut down at Salinas Road due to the hearth. Drivers are suggested to keep away from the realm and use U.S. Highway 101 as an alternate route. There was no estimated time of reopening as of .
Northbound Highway 1 visitors was being directed off from the Highway 183 junction with southbound visitors being directed off Struve Road.
County of Monterey Public Works has additionally listed highway closures which might be in impact across the Moss Landing space together with:
1.516 Dolan Road (Pick-n-Pull)
2. Highway 1 at Struve Road
3. Highway 1 at Potrero Road
4. Moss Landing Road North at Highway 1
*Residential entry solely.
Andrea Nakano contributed to this story.
