A massive fire broke out at the largest battery storage plant after Los Angeles, thousands were ordered to evacuate the area.

Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate the area and a section of National Highway-1 in Northern California was closed after a massive fire broke out at one of the world's largest battery storage plants. According to media reports, the fire broke out on Thursday afternoon and high flames and black smoke rose. About 1,500 people were instructed to leave the Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough area.
The Moss Landing power plant, about 77 miles (about 124 kilometers) south of San Francisco, is owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy and contains thousands of lithium batteries. These batteries are crucial for storing energy from renewable energy sources such as solar power, but if they catch fire, they can be extremely difficult to extinguish.
There was a fire in the Vistra plant
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said there was no word on it. It's a disaster, that's the truth. However, it was not expected that the fire would spread beyond the concrete building. According to media reports, fires broke out at the Vistra plant in 2021 and 2022. The fire was caused by a malfunction in the sprinkler system, resulting in some units overheating.
At the same time, the cause behind the fire that broke out on Thursday afternoon is not yet clear. Vistra says that after the matter was detected, everyone on the site was evacuated safely. An investigation will be initiated after the fire is extinguished. Vistra spokesperson Jenny Leon said that our top priority is the safety of the community and our personnel. Vistra appreciates the assistance of our local emergency responders. The North Monterey County Unified School District announced that all schools and offices would remain closed due to the fire.