Hundreds ordered to evacuate as fire erupts at huge California battery storage plant

Hundreds of people have been ordered to evacuate and part of Highway 1 in Northern California has been closed due to a major fire at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants. The fire erupted Thursday afternoon, sending up towering flames and black smoke and showed no sign of easing by Thursday night. The Mercury News reported that 1,500 people have been instructed to leave Moss Landing and the Elkhorn Slough area. The Moss Landing Power Plant is about 77 miles south of San Francisco and is owned by Texas-company Vistra Energy. It contains tens of thousands of lithium batteries.