Lithium-ion battery fire in La Verne spurs neighborhood, school evacuations
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Set us as preferred The city of La Verne issued evacuation orders Tuesday after a hazardous lithium-ion battery fire ignited at a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California facility, authorities said.The fire began around 11 a.m.
in the 3200 block of Wheeler Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which is working alongside the La Verne Fire Department to combat the blaze.The fire started at a battery energy storage system near a solar panel field on the northeast side at the facility, which houses Weymouth Water Treatment Plant, according to the water district.“The safety of Metropolitan’s water supply is not affected,” according to a district statement.“We are supporting our first responders as they take the appropriate steps to help ensure the health and safety of residents, employees and others in the affected area.”Residents living near Wheeler and Bonita avenues were ordered to evacuate, while shelter-in-place orders were issued at Grace Miller Elementary and Bonita High schools, according to the La Verne Police Department.
Classes at the University of La Verne were canceled until further notice, and students, faculty and staff were asked to leave immediately.An evacuation shelter has opened at La Verne Community Center, 3680 D St.
A map of areas impacted by evacuation orders can be found here.Lithium-ion battery fires are challenging to combat as excessive heat inside a battery creates a self-sustaining chemical reaction called thermal runaway that can then easily spread to adjacent batteries.
Once thermal runaway starts, the process cannot be stopped, and batteries will continue to burn for hours.In the case of large, multiple-battery fires, they can burn for days, while releasing toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide and carbon diox...