Updated: 10:01 PM PST Jan 16, 2025 NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS BEING EVACUATED. THEN SHE, OF COURSE, HAD TO EVACUATE TOO. SO IT LOOKS LIKE ZOE, YOU’RE IN THE EVACUATION CENTER. AARON. DAN? YES? WE’RE HERE AT THE NORTH COUNTY RECREATION CENTER. IT’S SERVING AS THE EVACUATION CENTER IN CASTROVILLE NOW. IT’S IN THE BEGINNING STAGES. THE STAFF HERE SAYS JUST HOURS AGO, THEY WERE DOING THEIR NORMAL PROGRAMING. NOW THEY’RE BRINGING IN STACKS OF WATER BOTTLES, FOOD, TRYING TO GET THIS SET UP FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN. IT’S STILL EMPTY, BUT WE’VE SEEN SOME FAMILIES SLOWLY COMING IN. PEOPLE HAVE MASKS ON AND, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF ANXIETY IN THE AIR. STILL. Advertisement Digital producer Thursday’s fire at the Vistra Power Plant in Moss Landing is just the latest problem to plague the facility in recent years.The facility, owned by Vistra Corp., stores lithium batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are notoriously difficult to extinguish.It’s a problem familiar to the North County Fire Protection District.The department first responded to the plant in September 2021, when one or more batteries overheated and caused part of the facility to fill with smoke.“Lithium-ion batteries can be unstable,” Fire Chief Joel Mendoza told KSBW at the time. "When operating, the electrodes produce heat, which might become uncontrollable during battery malfunction."Read more about the response in 2021 here. Around five months later, firefighters responded to another battery meltdown at the facility.In that February 2022 incident, first responders arrived to find around 10 battery racks melted.The fire department said the incidents should provide a learning opportunity for the facility to make needed adjustments and improvements.Read more about the 2022 incident here.Beyond the fire at the facility, other fires involving lithium-ion batteries have caused problems for firefighters and communities across the nation.Last year, a Tesla Semi fire shut down Interstate 80 in Northern California, releasing toxic fumes posing a danger for first responders and travelers.The National Transportation Safety Board said that fire took about 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames and cool the batteries. Cal Fire also had aircraft dropping fire retardant. It took more than 12 hours for the batteries to cool in that incident, officials said.Read more about the NTSB’s report on the Tesla semi-fire here.On Thursday, officials issued evacuation orders around Moss Landing as thick black smoke rose into the air.As crews work to contain the flames, the cause of the fire has not been revealed.See more coverage of top Central Coast stories here | Download our app | Download Very Local MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Thursday’s fire at the Vistra Power Plant in Moss Landing is just the latest problem to plague the facility in recent years. The facility, owned by Vistra Corp., stores lithium batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are notoriously difficult to extinguish. Advertisement Evacuation orders issued for Moss Landing Battery Plant fire; residents asked to close all entry points