One year after the January 2025 fire that destroyed 55 to 80 percent of approximately 100,000 lithium-ion batteries at the Vistra Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Monterey County, California, the EPA has overseen the de-energizing of more than 15,200 battery modules for recycling, with demolition of the facility building expected by mid-2026, according to Inside Climate News. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Vistra stated that air, water, and soil testing found no risks to public health or agriculture, but residents near the facility reported rashes, sore throats, and headaches following the fire, according to Inside Climate News.
Operator takeaway
Moss Landing is what a battery fire looks like at industrial scale: a year of cleanup, a building demolished to its foundation, and the cause still undetermined. The chemicals in those batteries are the same chemicals in the EV on your lot. The scale is different. The chemistry is not.