Fire ignites at Moss Landing Power Plant again
(KRON) — A new fire broke out at Moss Landing Power Plant Tuesday night when smoldering lithium-ion batteries reignited, officials said.
Batteries burned inside the same building where a massive blaze broke out in January at Vistra's Battery Energy Storage System facility, officials said. The new fire is smaller than January 16's inferno.
The County of Monterey's Department of Emergency Management urged residents who live near the power plant to keep their windows and doors closed because of smoke.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District's superintendent sent a letter to parents on Wednesday morning, writing, 'We are aware of the fire at the Moss Landing power plant and the visible smoke in the air. PVUSD Maintenance & Operations Department is coordinating with the principals of our schools in Monterey County. At this time, out of an abundance of caution, the three schools, Hall District, Ohlone Elementary and Pajaro Middle, will keep windows and doors closed.'
Air quality in the region remained 'good' on Wednesday, according to Monterey Bay Air Resources District officials.
During the January 16 fire, flames spread from one lithium battery to another, county supervisors said. Firefighters said they couldn't battle the blaze because water does not stop battery fires.
'There is no proven way to put out one of these fires once it has reached this magnitude. Attempts to put out battery fires at other sites have only worsened the situation. Water is used initially only when the batteries start to heat, not when flames have emerged,' Supervisor Glenn Church previously wrote.
Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed against Vistra. National environmental advocate Erin Brockovich teamed up with law firm Singleton Schreiber to represent local residents. 'Defendants knew they were using dangerous lithium-ion batteries, housing them in what they knew was the most dangerous way, and ignored the safety of the community for their own profit,' attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
Vistra is an electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas. The Moss Landing Power Plant site is home to one of the world's biggest battery plants.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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