This story was updated at 11am with a statement from North Monterey County Unified School District.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued a shelter-in-place order for the area within one-third of a mile of 7301 Highway 1 due to a fire at the battery energy storage facility.
The fire was initially reported just after 6:15am. North County Fire is responding to the incident.
It is burning inside a structure that was significantly damaged during the January 2025 Vistra battery fire and involves batteries damaged in that incident.
Officials said the current fire is significantly smaller and less complex than the January 2025 blaze. Based on current conditions, they expect it could burn itself out within 24 hours.
The order was issued as a precaution due to smoke and potential hazardous materials associated with the fire. Residents are being asked to stay inside until further notice.
Officials are asking residents to close all windows and doors, avoid the area and not go outside to observe the fire or smoke. Additional precautions from North County Fire include:
• Turn off heating, air conditioning, fans and other systems that bring outside air indoors.
• Keep people and pets inside.
• If you are driving in the affected area, leave if you can safely do so.
• Follow instructions from emergency personnel.
The California Highway Patrol has implemented a hard closure of Dolan Road between Highway 1 and Via Tanques Road. Highway 1 remains open.
In a public statement, North Monterey County Unified School District said that its schools will remain open until further notice.
However, students at Castroville Elementary, North Monterey County Middle and North Monterey County High schools will remain inside during breaks.
“We are working closely with local emergency services and will provide our next update as soon as new information is available,” the statement says.
“The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority,” the statement reads.
The Vistra fire involved numerous large lithium-ion batteries containing nickel, manganese and cobalt and sent toxic black smoke into the air for days. The incident sparked widespread public concern and increased scrutiny of plans for battery energy storage system facilities, including a proposed project on Minto Road near Watsonville.
