People living near a battery factory in California, USA, were ordered to evacuate after a fire broke out at the facility.

A Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told CNN that firefighters were working to contain the fire at the Moss Landing battery plant. 

The Moss Landing power plant, about 75 miles south of San Francisco, houses tens of thousands of lithium batteries.

Large plume of smoke from fire at Moss Landing battery plant. Photo: X

The spokesperson confirmed the incident was not related to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area and efforts to extinguish the blazes were still underway.

A sheriff’s office spokesman said the fire broke out at the facility around 3 p.m. local time and an evacuation order was issued around 2:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 16 due to concerns about hazardous materials and the potential for chemical releases. 

However, a sheriff’s office spokesman did not elaborate on what material was at issue. More than 2,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

Santa Cruz County health officials advise residents to stay indoors, close windows and doors, turn off ventilation systems and limit exposure to outdoor air. Santa Cruz is located in northern Monterey County.

Firefighters work to contain the fire at the Moss Landing plant. Photo: Mercury News

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Vistra Energy, the company that owns the plant, said Moss Landing is one of the largest battery facilities in the world and plays a key role in stabilizing California’s power grid.

Monterey County spokesman Nicholas Pasculli told CNN that the sheriff’s office deployed drones to assess the severity of the situation and monitor air quality, adding that emergency services, including police and paramedics, were fully mobilized.

A spokesperson said about 40% of the building housing lithium-ion batteries was destroyed by the fire. Vistra Energy said all employees were safely evacuated. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The Bureau of Fire Protection warns firefighters to be cautious of the risk of chemical exposure while fighting fires because lithium-ion batteries contain volatile electrolytes and when exposed to high temperatures or physical damage can release flammable gases.