Moss Landing battery storage facility suffers new fire

A fire broke out at the Vistra lithium-ion battery storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County on Friday morning. The incident occurred during decommissioning efforts following a massive, catastrophic fire at the same site in January 2025.

Approximately 1,500 charged, inaccessible battery modules spontaneously ignited, causing smoke and flames to emerge from a building previously damaged in the 2025 blaze. The flare-up prompted Monterey County officials to issue a shelter-in-place order, advising residents to close windows and doors and turn off air systems. The order was lifted later in the afternoon after officials determined the fire was no longer an active threat and had entered a smoldering stage.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing the cleanup and demolition of the damaged structures to reach remaining batteries. This latest incident has reignited safety concerns regarding California’s growing reliance on large-scale battery energy storage fleets and the risks associated with damaged lithium-ion modules.