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ClimateQuiet 5d · day 5

Fire erupts again at Moss Landing battery facility, 1,500 charged units at risk

A second fire strikes the California lithium-ion storage site less than two years after a massive blaze displaced 1,200 people.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 4d ago4 pieces NewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • A second fire struck the Moss Landing lithium-ion battery facility Friday morning, less than two years after a massive 2025 blaze displaced 1,200 people.
  • The latest fire was smaller and no longer actively burning by noon, with no injuries reported, though 1,500 charged batteries remain at risk due to inaccessible building structure.
  • Air quality monitoring detected no health-threatening pollution levels, though officials noted the facility was still in cleanup from the 2025 fire.
  • The recurring incidents raise questions about safety protocols at the aging facility, which was built in 2020 as one of the world's largest battery storage sites.

“There's a few [sensors] that have edged into moderate air quality, but we expect those probably to go back to green as we get better wind flow through there.”

Richard Stedman, Air pollution control officer, Monterey Bay Air Resources District · LA Times ↗

Vistra Corp. Owner of Moss Landing Power PlantJess Cortez North Monterey County Fire Protection District ChiefJosh Silveira Cal Fire Public Information OfficerRichard Stedman Air pollution control officer, Monterey Bay Air Resources District

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

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Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. background

    EPA and air district detect no health-threatening pollution levels — Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District said they were monitoring for PM 2.5 and hydrogen fluoride but had not detected levels exceeding health screening levels. Some sensors edged into moderate air quality range but were expected to return to normal.

  2. background

    Fire officials say blaze smaller than 2025 fire, no longer actively burning — At a noon press call, fire officials stated the fire was much smaller in scale and complexity than the previous year's fire and was no longer actively burning, though conditions could change. North Monterey County Fire Protection District Chief Jess Cortez said 1,500 fully energized batteries remain against the north wall of the burned building, which crews have been unable to access due to collapse risk.

  3. background

    Officials lift most shelter-in-place orders; one zone remains active — Shelter-in-place orders for several areas around the facility were lifted around 10:30 a.m., though one zone remained under orders as a precaution.

  4. 1

    Second fire erupts at Moss Landing facility

    Fire crews responded to a structure fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant around 6:15 a.m. Friday. The building involved had been damaged in the January 2025 fire and contained charged batteries while taken off the grid. No civilians or fire personnel were injured.

    “At this particular point in the incident, there is no active fire. It is hot, smoldering at this particular point, but the incident is still within a scope that it could decrease or continue going.”
    — Jess Cortez, North Monterey County Fire Protection District Chief · source

    1. 3 outlets first by Los Angeles Times, 5d ago · also LA Times California, LA Times · read ↗

  5. background

    Massive battery fire displaces 1,200 at Moss Landing — A major fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County displaced 1,200 people and smoldered for days, spewing toxic gas. The facility, one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery storage sites, was built in 2020.