Authorities in Monterey County, California lifted all evacuations Friday night time, in the future after a hearth broke out at one of many world’s largest lithium battery storage services.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Workplace made the announcement shortly after 6 p.m. native time. Well being officers nonetheless suggested residents close to the Moss Touchdown Vistra Energy Plant, situated 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 hearth closed a portion of coastal Freeway 1 that is still shut right down to visitors as the hearth continues to burn.
CBS Information Bay Space
Monterey County officers held a second press convention Friday afternoon after the most recent flare-up at round 1:45 p.m. produced one other spherical of flames and black smoke taking pictures into the sky.
Assemblymember Daybreak 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 is actually time to place a cease to it and take a breath and guarantee that we are able to guarantee the general public they’re protected,” mentioned Addis. “This incident does appear and feel very totally different. It is a totally different configuration, the hearth is totally different.”
Nevertheless, 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.
Additionally on Friday afternoon, CBS Information Bay Space obtained a press release from the Environmental Safety Company relating to the Moss Touchdown facility fireplace.
“Final night time, the Monterey Hearth Division requested EPA technical help to supply perimeter air monitoring on the Vistra Moss Touchdown Energy Plant in Moss Touchdown, Monterey County. EPA and contractors had been mobilized and arrived on scene. Further EPA personnel, together with 4 air monitoring specialists, and gear are at the moment en route. The hearth is ongoing, and EPA has joined Unified Command. Presently, Unified Command is led by the Metropolis of Monterey’s Hearth Division.
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 data.”
The hearth began at round 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon at an influence plant and battery facility operated by Texas-based Vistra Vitality. The plant is a pure gas-powered electrical energy era plant in Moss Touchdown, an unincorporated space of the county.
In a press release Thursday, Vistra mentioned its personnel “known as for help from the North Monterey County Hearth District after a hearth was detected within the 300-MW Part I vitality storage facility on the Moss Touchdown Energy Plant web site.”
The discharge mentioned all web site personnel had been safely evacuated. An organization spokesperson mentioned, “The reason for the hearth has not but been decided, however an investigation will start as soon as the hearth is extinguished.”
“Our prime precedence is the security of the neighborhood and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued help of our native emergency responders,” the assertion mentioned.
The hearth started within the plant’s first lithium-ion battery vitality 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, in response to Vitality Storage Information. With the potential publicity to poisonous chemical compounds, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Workplace began evacuating residents within the Prunedale and Elkhorn space, simply east and north of the hearth.
The hearth is being allowed to burn itself out and it was unknown how lengthy that course of would take.
KION
“No lively fireplace suppression is happening, the batteries should burn themselves out. No water can be utilized. That is commonplace motion for battery fires,” in response to an replace from the Monterey County Emergency Operations Heart.
“Simply fireplace,” Moss Touchdown resident Joel Bera informed CBS Information Bay Space. “That is all and smoke. A variety of visitors right here too. There was visitors about an hour in the past and this man informed me they began to evacuate this space.”
Monterey County Communications Director Nick Pasculli mentioned roughly 1,500 residents had been evacuated.
In neighboring Santa Cruz County, public well being officers there have been additionally advising residents downwind of the incident to remain indoors, preserve home windows and doorways closed, restrict outside publicity, and switch off air flow methods. Residents are moreover suggested to observe native information and social media for added updates.
The hearth led to some faculty closures. Hartnell School Castroville Training Heart introduced it might be closed Friday because of the fireplace out of security to college students and employees.
North Monterey County Unified College District additionally made the choice to shut all NMCUSD faculties Friday, citing well being and security considerations for college kids and employees.
Climate circumstances serving to in Moss Touchdown
The one lucky ingredient Thursday night was the climate. In an space recognized for heavy fog, it has been clear and nonetheless for a lot of the night time, 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 realize what occurred in Southern California can do loopy issues, so we’re not coping with that luckily.”
At a press convention Friday morning, Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, who represents District 2 the place the hearth came about, known as the incident “a worst-case state of affairs of a catastrophe.”
“That is actually much more than only a fireplace. That is actually a get up name for this business,” mentioned Church. “And if we’ll be shifting forward with sustainable vitality, we have to have protected battery methods in place.”
Church went on to notice that his constituents have questions on how and why the hearth occurred and promised accountability and transparency with regards to 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 Hearth Safety District mentioned that the hearth was largely out as of Friday morning, however video from the ability 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 price of 1% to five% Friday morning in comparison with the peak of the hearth between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday night time.
KPIX
The final fireplace on the facility was again in 2022. That was earlier than Vistra Vitality went by means of a significant growth to its vitality storage capabilities.
Hearth emergency providers and hazmat crews had 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 Freeway 1 closed
The Santa Cruz workplace of the CHP introduced that State Route 1 has been shut down at Salinas Street due to the hearth. Drivers are suggested to keep away from the realm and use U.S. Freeway 101 as an alternate route. There was no estimated time of reopening as of .
Northbound Freeway 1 visitors was being directed off from the Freeway 183 junction with southbound visitors being directed off Struve Street.
County of Monterey Public Works has additionally listed street closures which are in impact across the Moss Touchdown space together with:
1.516 Dolan Street (Decide-n-Pull)
2. Freeway 1 at Struve Street
3. Freeway 1 at Potrero Street
4. Moss Touchdown Street North at Freeway 1
*Residential entry solely.
Andrea Nakano contributed to this story.
