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LA VERNE, Calif. () — Evacuations remained in place Thursday in La Verne after officials reported progress at a lithium battery storage unit that caught fire at a water treatment facility earlier this week.
Crews have stabilized the temperature inside the lithium battery storage unit that caught fire Tuesday at the Metropolitan Water District facility, according to an update provided Thursday. The fire forced the evacuation of about 500 nearby homes.
Firefighters continue working to keep a second lithium battery storage unit cool and safe. Evacuation orders remain in effect as crews monitor conditions at the site.
The second storage unit being monitored began smoking and making popping sounds Tuesday evening due to heat exposure from the original fire.
Officials said the monitored unit’s temperature was 93 degrees Wednesday and had climbed to more than 100 degrees Thursday, above the typical operating temperature of about 70 degrees.
Firefighters were applying approximately 1,800 gallons of water per minute to the unit to keep it from igniting.
As of Thursday afternoon, the second battery storage unit reached stable temperatures and responders were able to stop water application for several hours.
The lithium battery fire was reported Tuesday morning near a solar panel field on the northeast side of the facility, prompting evacuation orders and warnings near Bonita Avenue and Wheeler Avenue, as well as a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding residential neighborhood. Some evacuation orders were later downgraded to warnings. The Metropolitan Water District has said the water supply has not been affected.
Officials said crews will continue working through the night to keep the second unit cool and maintain safe conditions while evacuation orders remain in effect.
“Lithium batteries aren’t predictable in adverse conditions and that’s what we’re dealing with,” said La Verne Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Savage. “So we need to be ready for everything. So evacuations remain in place because of this threat to having this continue to go in the wrong direction. And there’s minimal things to do at this point.”
Both the battery storage unit that caught fire and the other being monitored Thursday are 8 feet wide, 8 feet high and 20 feet long, Savage said.
What areas are under evacuation in La Verne?
Evacuation orders remain in effect for about one block in each direction around the facility, affecting roughly 500 homes. A nearby shopping center at Wheeler Avenue and Foothill Boulevard also has been closed since Tuesday.
Fire officials urged residents inside the evacuation zone to remain away from their homes. They said that if the batteries reignite, crews may not have the time or personnel needed to evacuate everyone safely. Click here to see if you are in an impacted area.
Is the air quality safe near the La Verne battery unit fire site?
Residents living near the facility said one of their biggest concerns is whether it is safe to be outside and breathe the air near the facility.
“It’s pretty scary,” said Cisco Cabrera, a La Verne resident.
“I’ve lived here for 48 years and I never was concerned about it, but now that this has happened, maybe,” said Helene Pichardo of La Verne.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District continued monitoring conditions around the facility. Officials said there have been no hazardous air-quality readings outside the Metropolitan Water District plant, and readings beyond the facility remain within normal levels.
A robotic device has entered the area surrounding the battery enclosure and is collecting air samples directly at the battery box. Officials said no hazardous levels have been detected.
Based on current air-quality monitoring, officials said residents outside the affected area can safely open their windows and use air conditioning.
Despite the ongoing concerns, some residents expressed confidence in the response effort.
“Safety comes first. And I’m so glad that they acknowledge that and they’re doing everything they could to, but yes we’ve been very patient,” Cabrera said. “As time goes I think we will be ok.”
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