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Another battery fire erupts at Moss Landing, where some units are still charged
Los Angeles Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A fire broke out again at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County, nearly two years after a massive battery fire displaced 1,200 people and released toxic gases.
- Fire crews responded early Friday morning, and shelter-in-place orders were issued for nearby residents, with most lifted by mid-morning except for one zone.
- The fire involved charged lithium-ion batteries inside a building previously damaged in the January 2025 fire; no injuries were reported and the fire was smaller and no longer active by noon.
- Air quality officials monitored for harmful pollutants like PM 2.5 and hydrogen fluoride but found no levels exceeding health safety thresholds, with air quality expected to improve with wind.
- Cleanup from the 2025 fire has been slow due to the risk of reigniting fires from thousands of charged batteries, and Friday’s fire was caused by spontaneous ignition of 1,500 fully energized batteries that crews have struggled to safely remove.
