Moss Landing: A Closer Look at the World’s Largest Grid Battery and Its Latest Fire Incident

Recently, a fire at Vistra’s battery facility caused significant damage, more than any previous incidents. Unlike others, this facility repurposed a historic turbine hall to house batteries, which unfortunately turned into fuel for the flames. Local authorities reported that the fire destroyed most of the structure.

Wesoff pointed out that “This is a flagship, capstone installation, and Vistra has some explaining to do about why it’s become a serial offender.”

In the aftermath of the Moss Landing fire, several misconceptions emerged. Some reports mistakenly linked the fire to the nearby Tesla Elkhorn facility. While both sites have experienced fires, the recent disaster was contained solely to Vistra’s location, which relies on LG Energy Solution for its battery supply.

“The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished,” a representative from LG stated. They assured cooperation with local authorities during the inquiry.

Another point of confusion was the fire response. Firefighters did not immediately douse the flames with water; instead, they let the fire burn out. This choice may seem strange, but the Monterey County fire service has extensive experience handling large battery fires. “Let it burn” is an established strategy for managing such situations, dating back to lessons learned from incidents in 2019.

Nick Warner, a battery fire expert, explained that this approach helps minimize risks to firefighters. They actively manage the incident to reduce harmful smoke and prevent the fire from spreading, rather than simply waiting for it to extinguish itself.

Warner mentioned, “Once that fire got to the point where it was when the media coverage started, there’s essentially nothing the fire department can do at that point.” He emphasized that it’s challenging to control such intense fires, but it appears the responders successfully contained the blaze and prevented injuries.

A Vistra spokesperson confirmed this, stating that all personnel were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported from the incident or the response efforts.

This incident raises questions about the design of battery enclosures. Currently, many facilities cluster batteries within buildings rather than using modular containers. Warner urged caution against abandoning purpose-built structures altogether but stressed the importance of managing fire risks. Effective designs should include physical barriers to contain potential fires.

A recent example is REV Renewables’ Gateway project near San Diego, which faced a fire in 2024. The design of that facility helped isolate the fire to one area, allowing firefighters to control the flames with water.