The Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders Thursday evening after a fire broke out at a Moss Landing battery facility that closed State Route 1.

The fire reportedly started at around 3 p.m. The plant is a battery facility operated by a company called Vistra Energy.

The sheriff's office issued the evacuation orders just after 6:30 p.m. for areas of Moss Landing south of the Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Rd. and Monterey Dunes Way, and west of Castroville Blvd. and Elk Horn Rd. to the ocean for the following zones: MRY-B037, MRY-B047, MRY-B050, MRY-B051,MRY-B053, MRY-B058, MRY-B060.  

The Castroville Rec Center has been established as a Temporary Evacuation Point. 

Earlier, Monterey County officials issued a warning for nearby residents to close windows and doors and shut off air systems in zones MRY-B047 and MRY-B053. Residents are also asked to stay out of the area to allow for access of emergency vehicles.

The Santa Cruz office of the CHP announced that State Route 1 has been shut down at Salinas Rd. due to the fire. Drivers are advised to avoid the area and use US-101 as an alternate route. Dolan Rd. and Castroville Blvd. are also closed, according to authorities. There is no estimated time of reopening.

Northbound Highway 1 traffic is being directed off from the Highway 183 junction with southbound traffic being directed off Struve Road.  

As of around 8:45 p.m., Santa Cruz County Public Health officials were advising residents downwind of the incident to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, limit outdoor exposure, and turn off ventilation systems. Residents are additionally advised to monitor local news and social media for additional updates. 

Vistra later sent out a statement saying that on Thursday afternoon, personnel "called for assistance from the North Monterey County Fire District after a fire was detected in the 300-MW Phase I energy storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant site." 

The release said all site personnel were safely evacuated. A company spokesperson said "the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished."

"Our top priority is the safety of the community and our personnel, and Vistra deeply appreciates the continued assistance of our local emergency responders," the statement said.    

The National Weather Service Bay Area posted images from the fire on X, noting that the heat signature was visible in satellite imagery.

The plant is a natural gas-powered electricity generation plant on Cabrillo Highway in Moss Landing, an unincorporated area of Monterey County.

Fire emergency services and hazmat crews were all present at the scene, but KION reports that those crews appeared to be letting the fire burn itself out.

Additional information will be provided by authorities as the situation changes.