MOSS LANDING, Calif. —
A fire was confirmed at the Vistra Power Plant in Moss Landing on Thursday, forcing evacuations and closing roads in the area.
The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. The building was evacuated when the fire started. All Vistra employees, law and fire personnel are safe, per the County of Monterey.
Firefighters are not engaging the fire and are waiting for it to burn out on its own. It is unknown how long the fire will last.
Emergency responders are staged in the area.
A spokesperson with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office told KSBW 8 that 40% of the battery plant has burned.
The owner of the battery plant, Vistra, gave the following statement to KSBW 8:
"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.
"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. All site personnel were safely evacuated.
"The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished."
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. All site personnel were safely evacuated.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished.
The county of Monterey sent the following message to residents in the area:
"North County Fire Department is currently responding to a fire at Moss Landing Power Plant. Out of an abundance of caution, the fire department urges residents in Zones MRY-B047 and MRY-B053 to close windows and doors and shut off air systems until further notice. Residents are also requested to stay out of the area to allow for access of emergency vehicles."
See what zone you are in, HERE.
"Santa Cruz County Public Health officials advise residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems. Monitor local news and social media for additional updates. Further information will be provided as the situation changes," according to a CruzAware message sent out to Santa Cruz County residents.
Monterey County health officials have also advise residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems
San Benito County says there is no immediate threat to residents in the county.
"We are monitoring closely and in contact with the National Weather Service and neighboring counties and following their recommendations," said the county.
Road Closures
- Caltrans says both ways of Highway 1 at Salinas Road is currently closed due to a fire at the Moss Landing power plant. Use Highway 101 instead advises CHP.
- Hard closure at Highway 183 (Merritt Road)
- Hard closure at Dolan Road at Castroville Boulevard.
- Highway 1 at Struve Road is closed.
- Paradise at Walker Valley Road.
- Elkhorn at Bayview Road.
- Elkhorn at Walker Valley Road.
- Elkhorn at Strawberry Road.
- Elkhorn at Hidden Valley Road.
- Elkhorn Rd between Kirby Road and Wauh Road.
- Elkhorn at the intersection of Hall Road at the fire station.
- Russo Road at Dolan Road
- Trafton Road to Bluff Road
There is no estimate for when the roads will be reopened.
Evacuation Orders
There are now evacuation orders for areas off Moss Landing south of Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way and west of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean.
There are 1,214 people in the evacuation zone, per the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. A total of 7,676 acres are under evacuation. The Sheriff's office says they have completed their evacuations.
School Closures
North Monterey County Unified School District announced that all of its schools and district offices are closed on Friday. There is a holiday on Monday, but after that, they will assess whether they need to remain closed.
Hartnell College will also close its Castroville Education Center on Friday due to the fire.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District said all its schools will remain open on Friday. It will monitor air quality and will update families with any updates.
Evacuation Center
The Castroville Recreation Center is being opened as a temporary evacuation point. It is located at 11261 Crane Street.
Leaders Comment on Moss Landing Fire
Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) issued the following statement following the news of the fire at the Moss Landing energy storage facility:
“The safety and wellbeing of our communities remain my number one priority. I am closely monitoring the fire in Moss Landing and its effects on surrounding areas. I am in open communication with local and state agencies to ensure our community and our first responders have the resources they need. I am deeply concerned and have serious questions about the safety of this battery energy storage plant. I will be looking for transparency and accountability for why this happened again at Moss Landing. I am exploring all options for preventing future battery energy storage fires from ever occurring again on the Central Coast.”
Live Interview With Supervisor Glenn Church on Fire:
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