At PG&E’s Moss Landing energy storage plant in Monterey County, California, a Tesla Megapack battery caught fire on Tuesday morning. As a result of potentially harmful vapors from the fire, the nearby roadway was closed and a shelter-in-place order was issued.
A continuing hazardous materials incident was cited as the reason for the shelter-in-place advice that was issued by the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services on Tuesday morning. Highway 1 was also closed by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the neighborhood police force.
“Thank you for closing your windows and turning off your ventilation. The notice warned that “impacted regions may alter in the case of shifting weather trends.
The Tesla-powered building was reportedly removed from the public power grid as an additional safety measure, according to CBS Bay Area. There have been no reported injuries.
Executive producer at KSBW David Aguilar posted a picture of a huge cloud of smoke emanating from the building. PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith told CNBC that when the problem was discovered, the plant’s safety measures “performed as intended” and “immediately isolated the battery storage facility from the electrical grid.”
Although he lacked any current information on the air quality in relation to the PG&E Tesla battery fire, Richard Stedman, an air pollution control officer for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, said that lithium-ion batteries may release harmful gases if they catch fire.
Earlier this year, dashcam video from the incident that resulted in the police cruiser flying off the road and striking a sheriff’s officer nearby was first made public. The incident occurred in 2020 when an out-of-control Tesla on autopilot crashed into a parked police vehicle.
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone commented on the incident after it occurred: “Fortunately, the state trooper pulled our deputy out of the path when he heard the tires screech, and in an instant, we might have lost a life or many lives.” It may have been horrifying.
Source: Americanmilitarynews