Live updates: Moss Landing under evacuation orders after battery power plant catches fire

A fire at Moss Landing Power Plant has forced Monterey County Sheriff’s Office to issue evacuation orders in portions of northern Monterey County.

Evacuation orders remain in place as of Friday morning. Here’s what we know, so far.

9 a.m. Friday: North Monterey County Unified School District schools closed

On Friday morning, North Monterey County Unified School District announced the closure of schools and offices due to the ongoing fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant.

“The health and safety of our students and staff remain our top priority,” district officials stated in a Facebook post.

8:30 a.m. Friday: Parts of Monterey County under evacuation order; road closures

Evacuation orders have been issued for Moss Landing south of the Elkhorn Slough, North of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way, and West of Castroville Boulevard and ElkHorn Road to the ocean.

Temporary Evacuation Point: Castroville Recreation Center.

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Full Road Closures at:

• Dolan Road and Castroville Boulevard

• Highway 1 at Salinas Road

• Highway 1 at Merritt Street

Moss Landing fire: Evacuations ordered in Monterey County after fire at battery power plant

Late Thursday evening, Monterey County Office of Emergency Services released the following warning:

“Due to an ongoing large fire in Moss Landing, Monterey County Health officials are advising residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems. Monitor local news and social media for additional updates. Further information will be provided as the situation changes.”

For alerts and update from the county visit alertmry.org.

What is the Moss Landing Power Plant?

Moss Landing Power Plant is a natural gas-powered electricity generation plant operated by Texas-based Vistra Energy. The facility also has two battery storage stations owned by PG&E and Vistra.

The current fire is in the Vistra storage station.

According to Oakland-based TV stations KTVU and the Mercury News, the facility had previous fires in 2021 and 2022 caused by a fire sprinkler system malfunction that overheated some units. The 2021 blaze was in the Vistra battery storage area. The blaze in 2022 was at a PG&E substation in the same area where Tesla charges its batteries.

The Moss Landing Power Plant Project is at the intersection of Highway 1 and Dolan Road, east of Moss Landing near Moss Landing Harbor.

(This story will be updated when new information becomes available.)

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Live updates: Parts of Northern Monterey County under evacuation orders

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