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A Tesla Megapack caught on fireplace this morning at a PG&E facility in Monterey County, California, emitting sufficient poisonous smoke that the county issued a shelter-in-place advisory for the encompassing space. A variety of street closures have been additionally ordered together with Freeway 1.
Tesla Megapacks are large lithium ion batteries that complement energy grids to even out vitality provide and improve the quantity of renewable vitality used. However lithium ion batteries are additionally flammable and emit poisonous smoke in the event that they catch fireplace. The larger quantity of lithium ion on fireplace, the extra poisonous the smoke. And since Megapacks are so massive, a hearth involving one may be doubtlessly hazardous. Residents are being informed by native authorities to close their home windows and switch off their air flow methods to forestall the poisonous smoke from getting inside their properties.
Jeff Smith, a spokesperson for PG&E, informed Motherboard the hearth started round 1:30 a.m. involving one Megapack. The battery facility was disconnected from the grid and no energy outages have resulted from the hearth. There have additionally been “no accidents to onsite personnel” in keeping with Smith. A spokesperson for Monterey County Workplace of Emergency Providers didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
It isn’t clear how lengthy the shelter-in-place advisory will final, however California Freeway Patrol informed the native ABC information affiliate KSBW that the street closure might final for 4 to 6 hours.
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