Residents still evacuated in La Verne after hazardous lithium-ion battery fire at Metropolitan Water District, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/residents-still-evacuated-in-la-verne-after-hazardous-lithium-ion-battery-fire-at-metropolitan-water-district/ar-AA2cMsgk?ocid=BingNewsVerp)

A hazardous fire involving a lithium-ion battery storage unit broke out at a Metropolitan Water District (MWD) facility in La Verne, California, leading to evacuation orders and shelter-in-place directives for nearby residents.

Key details from the report include:

• The Incident: The fire erupted around 11:40 a.m. in the 3000–3200 block of Wheeler Avenue on the northeast side of the property, which houses a battery energy storage system connected to an on-site solar farm. Responding firefighters reported hearing small explosions from the battery unit.

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• Hazardous Nature & Containment: Due to the risk of “thermal runaway”where burning lithium-ion batteries create self-sustaining chemical heat and emit toxic fumescrews primarily used water to cool the area and keep flames from spreading. Firefighters remained on scene to monitor adjacent, undamaged battery units that remained energized and vulnerable to heat exposure.

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• Evacuations and Shelter-in-Place: Immediate mandatory evacuations were ordered for surrounding neighborhoods near Wheeler and Bonita Avenues. While several zones had their orders downgraded or lifted later in the day, roughly 200 residents remained under evacuation orders into the following morning out of caution regarding toxic off-gassing. An evacuation shelter was established at the La Verne Community Center.

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• Impact on Schools & Community: The University of La Verne evacuated its campus and canceled classes. Bonita High School and Grace Miller Elementary School were placed under shelter-in-place orders before students were released, and Grace Miller Elementary was scheduled to close the following day as a precaution.

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• Injuries & Water Safety: One water district worker sustained minor injuries during the evacuation and was hospitalized. The Metropolitan Water District confirmed that the fire did not impact the safety of the drinking water supply.

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