A fire broke out in an outdoor lithium battery storage unit near a solar farm at a Metropolitan Water District facility in La Verne Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders and forcing crews into a defensive posture, while sending one person to a hospital.
La Verne Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Savage told City News Service the fire was reported around 11:40 a.m. at the facility in the 3200 block of Wheeler Avenue. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews also responded to the scene.
According to Savage, when firefighters initially arrived, there was a small explosion in the battery unit, but no injuries were reported. Savage said the storage unit involved lithium batteries.
Due to the hazardous nature of lithium batteries, fire crews were mainly spraying the area with water to prevent the flames from spreading.
Evacuation orders were issued in the areas around the facility. La Verne police said shopping centers along Wheeler north of Foothill Boulevard were evacuated as a precaution.
Grace Elementary School, located just east of the facility, was under a shelter-in-place order, with Holly Oak Street south of the school closed to traffic. Bonita High School was also placed under a shelter-in-place order.
At about 12:50 p.m., the county fire department said the fire was a hazardous materials incident and that an evacuation order was issued “for everyone near Wheeler and Bonita Avenue.”
“Gather family and LEAVE NOW,” the fire department advised on its X account. “Your safety is in danger if you stay. Use caution while evacuating. Follow instructions from emergency personnel.”
Savage said the extent of the danger to nearby areas was being assessed, adding, “You don’t want to be breathing smoke off-gassing from batteries, I know that.”
By about 2:30 p.m., Savage said the fire activity had diminished significantly, but “there’s still a hazard on scene.” He said one civilian was injured and taken to a hospital, but no other details were immediately available on the cause or severity of that injury.
The MWD issued a statement saying the fire occurred “at a battery energy storage system near a solar panel field on the northeast side at the La Verne facility, which also houses the Weymouth Water Treatment Plant. The safety of Metropolitan’s water supply is not affected.”
The MWD is a regional water wholesaler that distributes water to agencies throughout Southern California serving millions of residents.