MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KION-TV) — A fire has broken out at the Vistra battery building at the Moss Landing Power Plant Thursday afternoon and escalating into the night.
Santa Cruz Public Health has urged residents via an alert to stay indoors, close all windows, and turn of their air ventilation systems.
North Monterey County Unified School District has also made the decision to close all NMCUSD schools tomorrow, citing that the health and safety of their students as the top priority.
CalTrans District 5 has issued a full closure of Highway 1 with no estimated time of reopening. Northbound traffic is being directed off from the Highway 183 junction with southbound traffic being directed off Struve Road.
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Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued Evacuation Orders for areas Moss Landing South of the Elkhorn Slough, North of Molera Rd and Monterey Dunes Way, and West of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean.
The following zones include MRY-B037, MRY-B047, MRY-B050, MRY-B051, MRY-B053, MRY-B058 and MRY-B060. 1,164 people living in the evacuation zones have been told to evacuate. These zones can be found on readymontereycounty.org/emergency.
The Castroville Recreation Center is being opened as a temporary evacuation point as 11261 Crane St in Castroville.
Heavy black smoke can be seen coming from the Vistra Energy side of the power plant as the flamed continue. The building and facility has been evacuated.
Fire crews and emergency services are actively standing by at the scene with Moss Landing. Hazmat crews have arrived on the scene.
The last time a fire occurred at the Moss Landing Power Plant was on Sept. 20, 2022 at the Tesla Power Storage facility.
This is a developing story.
