MOSS LANDING HEIGHTS, Monterey County — October 29, 2026. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s published response timeline provides details about a separate fire on September 18, 2026, at the damaged Moss Landing 300 battery-storage building. The agency estimates that roughly 1,300 battery modules burned in this later incident, compared with approximately 56,000 modules in the original January 2025 fire.
This report revisits a documented September event and EPA’s response account. It does not mean a new fire broke out on October 29.
What happened on September 18?
According to EPA’s official Moss Landing response timeline, part of the damaged batteries remaining in the fire-affected building ignited at approximately 6 a.m. Vistra activated an EPA-approved emergency response plan that includes notifying local agencies and carrying out additional monitoring and sampling. Monterey County’s Department of Emergency Management issued a precautionary shelter-in-place order covering people within one-third of a mile of the fire.
EPA says the fire subsided at around 10 a.m. that day and no injuries were reported. The shelter-in-place precaution remained until approximately 4:15 p.m. because officials were concerned about the possibility of reignition.
What does the response mean for neighboring communities?
The September fire occurred during the longer cleanup of the January 2025 battery-storage disaster. EPA says teams continued working in areas unaffected by the flare-up while structural engineers evaluated when it would be safe to resume work near remaining batteries in the Moss Landing 300 building.
EPA also documents emergency measures that include private firefighting personnel on-site, water supplies and equipment for controlling smoke, and thermal imaging to monitor battery temperatures. These are descriptions of response arrangements, not a claim about a current evacuation, present-day air quality or completion of all cleanup operations.
Where residents can check official information
Residents of Moss Landing Heights and the surrounding Elkhorn Slough area should distinguish three separate developments: the January 2025 original fire, the September 18, 2026 flare-up, and the county’s September 22 administrative extension of its local emergency declaration. The last action does not by itself establish that a fire or shelter order continued after September 18.
For the county action, read our network’s separate Moss Landing report on the September 22 emergency declaration. For response facts, see EPA’s response timeline and frequently asked questions. For an immediate emergency, follow official county alerts and 911 guidance.
Sources and corrections
Primary source: U.S. EPA, Moss Landing Vistra Battery Fire Response timeline, September 18, 2026 entry. Background: U.S. EPA response FAQs.
Editorial note: This is a follow-up on the independently significant September 18 fire, distinct from the county’s separate emergency-declaration action. Sources reviewed October 29, 2026. The latest real-time site or air-monitoring conditions were not independently verified by California58 for this article.
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