MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KRON) — A fire has erupted at the Moss Landing Power Plant Thursday evening, officials said. The fire is at energy company Vistra’s power plant in Monterey County.
Monterey County officials will hold a press conference on the fire at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders at 7 p.m. for nearby areas, according to the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management. A map of the areas ordered to evacuate can be viewed below.
Map courtesy of Monterey County
The temporary evacuation point is at Castroville Recreation Center.
Vistra, headquartered in Texas, said the cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. All on-site personnel were safely evacuated.
Full road closures remain in effect as of 7 a.m. Friday:
- Highway 1 at Struve Road
- Highway 1 at Molera Road
- Dolan Road at Russo Road
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, southbound Highway 1 at Salinas Road was closed due to the fire.
MOSS LANDING, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: A view of flames and giant smoke over the sky as a fire erupted at Moss Landing Power Plant on Thursday that located on Pacific Coast Highway in Moss Landing of Monterey Bay, California, United States on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
MOSS LANDING, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 16: A view of flames at Moss Landing Power Plant that located on Pacific Coast Highway in Moss Landing of Monterey Bay, California, United States on January 16, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Santa Cruz County health officials advised residents at 8:45 p.m. Thursday to stay indoors, keep windows and doors shut and turn off ventilation systems.
Vistra sent the following statement to KRON4:
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 300-MW Phase I 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.
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