This page contains the most up-to-date information about the Moss Landing 300 battery fire in Monterey County, California. Vistra is committed to keeping the community informed with frequent, transparent updates.
January 28, 2025
Surface sampling continues to be conducted and analyzed by CTEH, the third-party consultant, in consultation with the EPA and Monterey County Health Department. We are aware of the news accounts from Monday regarding testing done by San Jose State University but have not received details about their findings or the data. We expect that the health agencies will evaluate those test results, and we will work with them to determine any next steps following their review.
Air monitoring data collected by EPA and CTEH did not detect hazardous substances of concern in the air during or after the event. Air monitoring is ongoing at the site's perimeter and will continue in the near term.
Vistra will continue to cooperate with the local health agencies to continue our testing protocols and will share additional information with the public as it is available.
January 23, 2025
We have chosen to partner with the Community Foundation for Monterey County and its partners to administer an assistance program that will support households who were impacted by the January 17 incident. We’re grateful for the Foundation’s partnership.
This initial assistance program is limited to households within the evacuation area identified by Monterey County’s Department of Emergency Management. The Community Foundation, along with its partners at United Way Monterey County and the Castro Plaza Family Resource Center, will provide gift cards funded by Vistra to households within the evacuation area. More information will be provided in the coming days.
A separate, application-based program will be established for businesses that have been impacted, and we will soon provide details on our website with further information about qualifications and how to apply.
January 22, 2025
Conditions at the site remain stable. Over the last 24 hours, there has continued to be a limited amount of smoldering at the Moss Landing 300 location, which is consistent with previous conditions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded community air monitoring operations after their testing determined there to be no risk to public health. View the EPA’s news release here. Onsite and roaming community monitoring continues daily by CTEH.
Vistra’s priorities moving forward are safely removing the remaining batteries from the building when conditions permit. The company has retained a structural engineering firm to advise with this work and planning is currently underway. We have begun our investigation and retained multiple outside experts to assist, and we are prepared to cooperate with any local or state investigations as well. Representatives of LG Chem, the manufacturer of the batteries used at Moss Landing 300, are also on location, and we are sharing information.
Crews will continue monitoring the site in coordination with local fire officials, and we will continue to provide updates to the community and local response partners as we progress.
January 21, 2025
We’re continuing to monitor the site and can confirm there are still no active flames, while a limited amount of smoldering is continuing to abate.
Air quality monitoring conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and independent, third-party air quality experts continues to demonstrate that the site and surrounding area are safe and do not pose a risk to the public. Air quality monitoring is ongoing.
January 19, 2025
Personnel conducted onsite inspections this morning and while some small pockets of smoldering were observed, there was no active flame. The condition at the site is contained, and the work of the response team has been successful in improving the situation.
Crews will continue to monitor the site in coordination with local fire officials. Our top priority remains ensuring the safety of the community and first responders.
Air quality monitoring conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and independent, third-party air quality experts continues to demonstrate that the site and surrounding area is safe and does not pose a risk to the public. Air quality monitoring is ongoing and will continue throughout the response.
Vistra strives to operate with transparency and to be a good neighbor in the communities in which we operate. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as response efforts progress. In support of this, a website has been established to share operational updates and to make additional information available to the public at www.mosslandingresponse.com/.
January 17, 2025
The fire at our Moss Landing Power Plant Site remains contained to one building. All personnel were safely evacuated, and no injuries have been reported from either the initial incident or the ongoing response efforts; we’re grateful for years of partnership and training with the fire department that allowed for this outcome. Once the fire is extinguished, we will turn to the investigation phase to determine the root cause.
At 6 p.m. PST Friday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office lifted all evacuation orders related to the fire.
Vistra, as well as public agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, are actively monitoring air quality. We are working cooperatively to ensure public health and safety, which is our top priority. Ongoing air monitoring has not detected anything hazardous.
Like many of our neighbors and friends, Moss Landing is our home, and we’re committed to working closely with our community partners and local officials to determine how we can best help. We have and will continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our neighbors and do right by our community.
January 16, 2025
There is an ongoing fire at our Moss Landing Power Plant site. Our top priority is the safety of the community and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued assistance of our local emergency responders.
Earlier this afternoon, Vistra personnel called for assistance from the North Monterey County Fire District after a fire was detected in the Moss 300-MW energy storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant site. All site personnel were safely evacuated.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished.
Air Monitoring
Process & Results
Monitoring to date, which began when the fire was first discovered, has not detected hazardous compounds, and all particulate matter readings were low and within expected air quality index (AQI) bands deemed safe for the general public.
Based on continued safe results, CTEH has concluded its community and roaming air monitoring. CETH will continue to monitor air quality up to the site boundary indefinitely.
Click here for all CTEH air monitoring reports.
Vistra began initial air monitoring at the site at approximately 4 p.m. Pacific time on Jan. 16 when the fire was first detected. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency arrived on site at approximately 2 a.m. Pacific time on Jan. 17 and began their testing. A leading independent environmental firm, CTEH, arrived at 5 a.m. on Jan. 17 and conducted extensive air quality monitoring in and around the Moss Landing community as part of response efforts. CTEH mobile air monitoring personnel sampled over 100 locations, testing for seven air constituents specific to this type of fire.
This work was complemented by nine stationary monitoring units established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring to date has not detected hazardous compounds, and all particulate matter readings were low and within expected air quality index (AQI) bands deemed safe for the general public. All air monitoring results were shared with the EPA, Monterey County, other local governments, and the public (via this website).