Tracy Mardon, a longtime resident of the Monterey area, was eating lunch at Woodward Marine Market, opposite the Moss Landing Power Plant, when alarms began to shriek. Restaurant staff approached Mardon, who appeared visibly uncomfortable, and reassured her that the plant often has emergency drills. 

As Mardon drove away from the harbor toward her home, she saw black smoke billowing from the plant’s rooftops. Right then, her long-held fears of the plant catching fire were brought to life before her eyes. 

“The flames were huge,” Mardon said. “Police were driving through [my neighborhood] with megaphones, telling us all to evacuate. I wasn’t really afraid of the house burning down, but I just didn’t know how long we’d be gone, and I was scared.”

Just 27 miles away from the base of UC Santa Cruz’s campus, a fire ignited on Jan. 16 at the Moss Landing Power Plant — one of the largest lithium-ion battery plants in the world. It burned for several days, releasing toxic heavy metals into the surrounding air and soil. 

The blaze prompted a 24-hour evacuation notice for nearly 1,500 residents in the Moss Landing area, which is also home to farms that produce a large amount of the country’s fruits and vegetables. The Elkhorn Slough Reserve, adjacent to the plant, was also closed through Jan. 21. The 1,740 acre nature preserve is home to at least five species of threatened and endangered animals.

Vistra’s facility post-blaze.

The Fire: Origin & Effects

The Moss Landing Power Plant was built in 1950, and is now owned by Vistra Energy, a Texas-based electricity and power generation company. Vistra has reported two overheating incidents and one fire at the plant since 2021. It is still unclear what caused the most recent blaze.

The lithium-ion batteries housed in the plant store essential renewable energy from wind and solar. This energy supports the power grid during times of lower green energy production. 

When exposed to heat or physically damaged, the batteries can release highly flammable gas made up of toxic hydrogen fluoride and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” as they do not naturally break down for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. 

On Jan. 17, the second day of the fire, Corinne Hyland, spokesperson for the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, provided the press and affected county residents with an update on the blaze.

“At this time, there is no immediate threat, and people may resume normal activities. Sensitive groups, including those with respiratory difficulties, should continue monitoring local air conditions,” the release stated. 

Residents across Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties gathered on community forums to report symptoms including rashes, sore throats, headaches and a metallic taste they believe are linked to the fire. In response, the Moss Landing Fire Community Response Group, a grassroots volunteer resident organization, purchased heavy metal tests from an environmental consulting company. Using the equipment, the group tested a variety of surfaces within a 15-mile radius of the plant — including residents’ homes. The results of this testing are expected soon.

Javier González-Rocha, an assistant professor at UCSC who studies atmospheric sensing, compiled publicly available air sensor data from Watsonville. In the days following the fire, his team revealed an increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels, particulate matter of the size that can be inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream. Researchers are working to process data from more sensor locations to better understand impacts of the disaster.

Moving Forward

Because extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires can release toxic gases and extreme heat, firefighters let Vistra’s suppression system run and avoided introducing more water.

Flames had ceased by Jan. 19. Now, public attention turns to the soil.

Last week, researchers at San Jose State University’s (SJSU) Moss Landing Marine Laboratories detected elevated levels of cobalt, manganese and nickel in the Elkhorn Slough topsoil. These heavy metals are associated with various health issues. The SJSU team plans to continue to assess the effects of these particles on the ecosystem and environment.

In collaboration with Monterey County officials, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control collected their own samples and submitted them on Jan. 24 to a state-certified laboratory. As of Jan. 31, preliminary results were released but “should not be interpreted as final or conclusive,” according to the County of Monterey Department of Emergency Management. 

Ron Eby, a volunteer for the reserve, stated that very little is known about how to clean up soil contaminated with toxic chemicals.

“There’s a lot to be learned, there’s just no experience with this,” Eby said. “With an oil spill where you can see the oil, you know where to clean it up. With something like this, you can’t see it, and you can only go and test each individual spot and that’s too time consuming and too slow.” 

Some are hoping that the unprecedented nature of the fire will lead to real change.

Heather Griffin, a longtime community member who lives near the plant, has helped to organize another community group called, “Never Again Moss Landing.” The group created a website centralizing fire information and volunteer efforts.

“We all agreed our ultimate goal is to make sure that this never ever happens again in our community,” Griffin said. “It’s harmful to the local residents, to the environment and to the soil … we’re stepping in because we feel like we need to call attention to this. We need a place where people’s voices can be heard about how upset they are, and we’ll see what happens as we move forward.”