Evacuations ordered in California after fire at battery power plant in Moss Landing
A fire at a battery power plant in Central California triggered evacuation orders and road closures Thursday night.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders Thursday evening and health officials urged residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limited outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems. You can see the full evacuation map here.
The areas under evacuation orders include areas of Moss Landing south of the Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, and west of Castroville Boulevard and ElkHorn Road to the ocean, according to the sheriff's office. The Castroville Recreation Center is being used as a temporary evacuation point.
"There is an ongoing fire at our Moss Landing Power Plant site. Our top priority is the safety of the community and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued assistance of our local emergency responders," Vistra spokesperson Jenny Lyon said in an emailed statement to Paste BN Friday.
"Thursday 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," Lyon said in the statement, adding that all site personnel were safely evacuated.
Cause of the fire under investigation
"The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished," Lyon said in the statement to Paste BN.
The North Monterey County United School District issued a statement early Friday morning saying that all schools and offices will be closed on Friday due to the fire.
The California Highway Patrol closed Highway 1 around the plant, and other roads in the area are also affected.
Is this fire related to the Southern California wildfires?
The fire at the Vistra facility comes as Southern California continues to grapple with raging wildfires.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told CNN the incident is not connected to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Moss Landing is located approximately 320 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.