A fire burning at the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California that forced the evacuation of hundreds of people continued to burn Friday morning, according to reports.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This is a disaster, is what it is,” Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church told KSBW-TV.
He said the fire is not likely to spread beyond the concrete barrier surrounding the building.
The blaze at the Moss Landing Power Plant, about 70 miles south of San Francisco, erupted Thursday afternoon, and evacuations were ordered for about 1,500 people in the areas of Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough, the Mercury News reported.
The fire is not related to deadly wildfires in the southern part of California that have caused deaths and billions of dollars of damage.
Fire crews were allowing the inferno to burn out on its own, the report said, citing the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
As of Friday morning, the flames appear to have subsided.
“It’s imperative that residents heed the evacuation order and take the direction of law enforcement and fire personnel,” Monterey County spokesman Nicholas Pasculli said, the Mercury News reported.
“This is a situation where we take the idea of protecting life and property very seriously. We implore people to heed the evacuation order and to go to a safe location,” he said.
The county’s emergency alert system late Thursday advised residents to stay indoors, close their windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems.
The plant, owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy, contains tens of thousands of lithium batteries used to provide energy to homes and businesses.
In announcing an expansion of the facility in 2023, the company called it the “largest of its kind” in the world.
There were incorrect reports that the fire involved Tesla’s Megapack facility. Elon Musk said that the fire has nothing to do with Tesla and its Megapacks are “operating well.”
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