Firefighters help control the spread of the Auto Fire in Oxnard, northwest of Los Angeles, California
AFP

A fire incident at the Vistra Power Plant in Moss Landing in California on Thursday prompted evacuations and road closures.

The fire erupted Thursday evening shortly after 3 p.m. and by 5 p.m. flames billowed from the building, with thick black smoke filling the air, KSBW reports.

Vistra personnel detected a fire in the 300-MW Phase I energy storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant and all site personnel were safely evacuated. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The Vistra power plant is a natural-gas-powered electricity generation plant in Monterey County. The plant also has storage sites for lithium-ion batteries, which can release toxic gases into the air if ignited.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that as many as 1,184 people were in the evacuation zone. The sheriff's office issued the following statement:

"North County Fire Department is currently responding to a fire at Moss Landing Power Plant. Out of an abundance of caution, the fire department urges residents in Zones MRY-B047 and MRY-B053 to close windows and doors and shut off air systems until further notice. Residents are also requested to stay out of the area to allow for access of emergency vehicles."

The North County Fire Protection District crews were deployed to the area to contain the blazes, the LA Times reported.

Evacuation orders were issued at around 6:30 p.m. for areas of 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. Officials urged residents staying near the impacted area to keep their windows and doors shut.

"Santa Cruz County Public 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," according to a CruzAware message sent out to Santa Cruz County residents.

Road closure orders were issued for the following areas:

  • Caltrans says both ways of Highway 1 at Salinas Road is currently closed due to a fire at the Moss Landing power plant. Use Highway 101 instead advises CHP.
  • Hard closure at Highway 183 (Merritt Road)
  • Hard closure at Dolan Road at Castroville Boulevard.

There is no estimate for when the roads will be reopened.

The North Monterey County Unified School District announced that all of their schools and their district office were closed on Friday. Monday is a holiday, and they will decide after that whether there's a need for them to remain closed.