Hundreds ordered to evacuate as fire erupts at huge California battery storage plant
2 months, 1 week ago

Hundreds ordered to evacuate as fire erupts at huge California battery storage plant

The Hindu  

Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate and part of Highway 1 in Northern California was closed when a major fire erupted Thursday afternoon at one of the world's largest battery storage plants. As the fire sent up towering flames and black smoke and showed no sign of easing by Thursday night, about 1,500 people were instructed to leave Moss Landing and the Elkhorn Slough area, The Mercury News reported. The Moss Landing Power Plant, located about 77 miles south of San Francisco, is owned by Texas-company Vistra Energy and contains tens of thousands of lithium batteries. There were fires at the Vistra plant in 2021 and 2022 that were caused by a fire sprinkler system malfunction that resulted in some units overheating, according to The Mercury News.

Vistra  california  evacuate  hundreds  storage  battery  energy  vistra  flames  monterey  landing  plant  mercury  moss  county  closed  erupts  huge  ordered

History of this topic

Residents sue energy companies after massive toxic battery fire at Moss Landing
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Residents sue energy companies after massive toxic battery fire at Moss Landing

LA Times  

After a massive lithium-ion battery storage site exploded into flames in Monterey County — spewing toxic gases into the air and scattering heavy metals over the ground — residents have filed a lawsuit accusing multiple energy companies of failing to maintain adequate fire safety at the facility. The blaze began Jan. 16 after a fire suppression system failed inside a …

The fire at Moss Landing is holding its charge
2 months ago

The fire at Moss Landing is holding its charge

Politico  

The fire at Moss Landing is holding its charge With help from Blanca Begert and Tyler Katzenberger Democrats are diverging on how to prevent another fire like the one at Moss Landing. | KSBW via AP FRIENDLY FIRE: A California Democrat is using the playbook she developed against oil and gas drilling on one of her party’s own darlings — …

‘Horrifying’ fire at California lithium battery plant sparks calls for new clean energy rules
2 months ago

‘Horrifying’ fire at California lithium battery plant sparks calls for new clean energy rules

LA Times  

This image from a video shows flames rising after a major fire erupted at the Moss Landing Power Plant, about 77 miles south of San Francisco, on Jan. 16. When a massive fire erupted at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities in Monterey County, it didn’t just send plumes of smoke over nearby communities — it cast …

A battery plant fire in California started during a boom for energy storage
2 months, 1 week ago

A battery plant fire in California started during a boom for energy storage

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — A fire at one of the world’s largest battery plants in Northern California contained tens of thousands of lithium batteries that store power from renewable energy and have become a growing electricity source. Texas rushes to add more power The Texas grid is rapidly gaining utility-scale batteries and added a whopping 5 gigawatts of storage over the …

A battery plant fire in California started during a boom for energy storage
2 months, 1 week ago

A battery plant fire in California started during a boom for energy storage

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A fire at one of …

Huge fire erupts at battery storage plant in California, hundreds ordered to evacuate
2 months, 1 week ago

Huge fire erupts at battery storage plant in California, hundreds ordered to evacuate

Hindustan Times  

Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate and part of Highway 1 in Northern California was closed when a major fire erupted Thursday afternoon at one of the world's largest battery storage plants. Burning fire at the site of Vistra Corp's power plant in Moss Landing, California, on January 16, 2025 in this screen grab obtained from a social media …

Smoke from fire at California lithium battery plant raises concerns about air quality
2 months, 1 week ago

Smoke from fire at California lithium battery plant raises concerns about air quality

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — A fire at the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California smoldered Friday after sending plumes of toxic smoke into the atmosphere, leading to the evacuation of up to 1,500 people. The fire at the Vistra Energy lithium battery plant in Moss Landing generated huge flames and significant amounts of smoke Thursday but had diminished significantly …

Monterey County officials call Moss Landing lithium battery storage fire ‘wake-up call’
2 months, 1 week ago

Monterey County officials call Moss Landing lithium battery storage fire ‘wake-up call’

LA Times  

This image from video shows flames rising after a major fire erupted Thursday afternoon at the Moss Landing Power Plant, located about 77 miles south of San Francisco. Monterey County officials declared a local emergency after a fire ignited at a power plant and one of the largest lithium battery storage facilities in the world on Thursday, releasing a large …

Lithium-ion batteries causing fires, dangers on California freeways, sparking calls for safety improvements
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Lithium-ion batteries causing fires, dangers on California freeways, sparking calls for safety improvements

LA Times  

For more than two days, a vital shipping passageway in the Port of L.A. was shut down, and the cause was surprising to some. A big rig overturned, sparking a fierce lithium-ion battery blaze that spewed toxic gases, snarled port traffic and resulted in what one official said was massive economic losses from delayed shipments. Safety basics These batteries are …

Battery storage is a key piece of California’s clean energy transition. But there’s a problem with fires
1 year, 5 months ago

Battery storage is a key piece of California’s clean energy transition. But there’s a problem with fires

LA Times  

Terra-Gen’s Valley Center battery storage project opened in February 2022. Generally, I’m very pleased with the performance of the storage fleet in California, but we cannot have fires on a regular basis.” Why batteries are important Energy storage has taken on a higher profile in recent years as more renewable sources of power have come onto California’s electric grid. San …

Evacuation orders lifted as multiple wildfires burn in Northern California
2 years, 9 months ago

Evacuation orders lifted as multiple wildfires burn in Northern California

LA Times  

Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires in Northern California that prompted evacuations Thursday afternoon. Evacuation orders for residents in the Sunol community of Alameda County near Pleasanton were lifted by about 7:30 p.m. as fire crews slowed the spread of the Canyon fire. In Contra Costa County, residents also faced evacuation orders and road closures due to the Scenic fire, which …

National forests closed as California wildfires surge
3 years, 7 months ago

National forests closed as California wildfires surge

India TV News  

Millions of acres of national forest in Northern California are being closed because of dangerous fire conditions that already have sent a score of blazes raging through the area and destroyed hundreds of homes. The U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday that beginning on Aug. 22 it will close nine national forests from near Lake Tahoe at the Nevada border on …

Northern California fire explodes, burns structures amid heat, dry conditions
3 years, 8 months ago

Northern California fire explodes, burns structures amid heat, dry conditions

LA Times  

A scorched truck sits on a roadside Saturday as the Tamarack fire burns in the Markleeville community of Alpine County. Previously issued evacuation orders spurred by the fire remain in place, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. “That’s indicative of our continuous drought.” More than 1,000 additional personnel arrived Wednesday to help fight the flames, said Rick Carhart, a …

Residents warned to get ready to go as California fire grows
3 years, 8 months ago

Residents warned to get ready to go as California fire grows

Associated Press  

PULGA, Calif. — Residents were warned Wednesday to be ready to evacuate as a growing wildfire bears down on two remote Northern California communities near a town largely destroyed by a deadly blaze three years ago. The fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon has chewed through more than 1.8 square miles of brush and timber near the Feather River Canyon …

California forests closed through Monday at least, Highway 1 shut near Big Sur
4 years, 6 months ago

California forests closed through Monday at least, Highway 1 shut near Big Sur

LA Times  

Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Kare Park in Irwindale. Writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben, tweeting a sepia-toned view of Yosemite’s Half Dome, wrote, “California faces the greatest siege of fire in recorded history.” Among the 20 locations on the California State Park closure list released Tuesday afternoon: • In Humboldt County, threatened by the Elkhorn fire: Benbow State …

California wildfires force evacuation of entire town in central California
4 years, 6 months ago

California wildfires force evacuation of entire town in central California

CNN  

CNN — Authorities issued evacuation orders Monday for the entire town of Auberry, a mountain community of 2,500 in central California, as the Creek Fire continued to burn out of control. Noah Berger/AP An officer with Napa County Animal Control rescues a cat after the Glass Fire passed through Napa Valley, California, on September 28, 2020. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty …

Lightning Sparked Firestorms Displace Thousands of Californians, Six Casualties Till Now
4 years, 7 months ago

Lightning Sparked Firestorms Displace Thousands of Californians, Six Casualties Till Now

News 18  

Tens of thousands of displaced Californians huddled under mass evacuation orders in the midst of a heat wave and a pandemic on Friday as lightning-sparked firestorms raged across tinder-dry landscapes in and around the greater San Francisco Bay area. An estimated 11,000 lightning strikes, mostly in northern and central California, ignited more than 370 individual fires this week, spawning nearly …

California Declares Statewide Emergency Amid Fires, Heat Wave And Power Outages
4 years, 7 months ago

California Declares Statewide Emergency Amid Fires, Heat Wave And Power Outages

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Mass power outages, wildfires and record-breaking heat have led to a statewide emergency being declared in California this week. ASSOCIATED PRESS Newsom’s emergency order declared Tuesday secures assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to fires in Napa, Nevada and Monterey counties, where firefighters are battling some of the state’s largest blazes. The state’s five …

Discover Related