A fire was reported at the Vistra battery energy storage system facility in Moss Landing on Tuesday night.
Smoke could be seen coming from the previously burned section of the Moss 300 building that caught fire on January 16. North County Fire Protection confirmed the presence of flames after launching a drone above the facility.
In a statement, Vistra said, “Additional instances of smoke and flare-ups are a possibility given the nature of this situation and the damage to the batteries.”
According to NCFPD Chief Joel Mendoza, the fire burned itself out the following day at 8 a.m.
Both Vistra and other public safety agencies will continue to monitor conditions at the Moss landing facility.
Monterey County District 2 Supervisor Glenn Church released a statement that said in part, "We are barely a month from the January 16 fire. The wounds from that catastrophic event haven’t even begun to heal. Now we are faced to deal with yet another fire. Unfortunately, we must be prepared for future fires like the one on Tuesday. Whether it be water, as rain, which causes a violent chemical reaction to lithium, or the disturbances when the debris is moved during cleanup, the risk of the fire reigniting remains."
Vistra said that since the January 16 fire, they have brought in a private fire crew that is on-site at all times to monitor the Moss 300 building.
