On Thursday, January 16, 2025, a fire broke out at a battery plant in Moss Landing, a small town in California. As reported by our colleagues at KSBW, the facility is owned by Vistra Energy, one of the largest energy providers in the United States. It is the largest battery storage facility in the world, according to the Californian television station.
"Earlier in the afternoon, Vistra personnel requested assistance from the North Monterey County Fire Department after a fire was detected at the 300 MW Phase I energy storage facility located at the Moss Landing Generating Station. All employees on site were safely evacuated,” Vistra Energy said in a press release.
A dangerous chain reaction
The flames ravaged 75% of the plant. Vistra Energy’s fire suppression system was unable to stop the blaze. In fact, the fire caused a thermal runaway phenomenon, or thermal runaway, among the lithium-ion batteries. The heat overheated all the batteries on site, which contributed to aggravating the situation. This chain reaction resulted in chemical reactions within the accumulators, contributing to complicating the firefighters’ task.
They preferred to retreat. The firefighters estimated that it would take far too much water to hope to put out the flames. They simply secured the perimeter and evacuated the area. Thermal escape forced firefighters to wait for the fire to extinguish itself.
State of emergency in Moss Landing
Due to overheating batteries, the fire continued throughout the night. After a period of calm, the fire even flared up again on Friday. Local authorities briefly declared a state of emergency in Moss Landing. The entire community was evacuated. Roads were blocked and schools were closed.
The fumes coming from the facility were considered toxic. As a result, residents were advised to stay indoors, close windows and doors, and turn off their ventilation systems. People who absolutely had to go out were asked to wear a sanitary mask. On Saturday, the flames finally subsided. Three days later, the emergency measures taken by the municipality were lifted.
Authorities fear that the fire has compromised the water quality around the site. It is possible that toxic substances emitted by the batteries are contaminating the water. To be sure, the Environmental Protection Agency is currently conducting a series of tests. For the time being, the origin of the fire remains a mystery.
Source: KSBW
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