Residents in La Verne remain evacuated, schools closed as lithium-ion batteries from fire continue spiking in temperature
Hundreds of residents in La Verne remain under mandatory evacuation orders and nearby schools are closed as officials continue to monitor lithium-ion batteries at the Metropolitan Water District after a fire erupted.
The La Verne Police Department said the fire broke out on Tuesday around 11:40 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they heard a small explosion in a battery storage unit on the northeast side of the facility.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, officials in La Verne said fire crews are continuing to spray water and monitor the temperatures of two battery storage units.
Fire crews said the initial battery unit that exploded had a temperature spike and reached about 300 degrees, while the second unit reached about 112 degrees.
Officials said mitigating the incident could take several days.
On Thursday, additional experts are expected to further evaluate the battery units and incident.
"The batteries cannot be safely approached or dismantled until conditions allow," officials said. "Once the batteries are fully de-energized and no longer producing heat or hazardous vapors, they can be dismantled and transported to a hazardous-waste facility."
The Metropolitan Water District said that treatment services have not been impacted and the safety of the water supply has not been affected. The agency said it will continue working in coordination with local officials on the incident.
Air quality monitoring
The South Coast Air Quality Management District and Los Angeles County Fire Department Health Hazardous Materials Division are monitoring air quality around the clock.
Current monitoring shows low-level air quality impacts surrounding the incident.
No hazardous air conditions have been detected at the property.
Evacuation orders and school closures
Mandatory evacuation orders, as well as warnings and advisories, remain in effect.
As of Thursday morning, evacuation orders remained in place for:
- LVN-E010-A
Evacuation warnings for:
- LVN-E010-B
- LVN-E010-C
Advisories for:
- LVN-E009
- LVN-E011
- LVN-E012
- LVN-E1311
Officials have conducted door-to-door knocking to notify residents of the orders. Residents are encouraged to remain out of their homes.
The La Verne Police Department will not be enforcing overnight parking restrictions through Friday morning for potential residents sheltering at other locations across the city.
Pelota Park and Grace Miller Elementary School will remain closed.
Residents in the evacuation zone who need a place to stay should contact the police department's non-emergency line at (909) 596-1913.
