People living near a power plant in Central California were ordered to evacuate their homes Thursday night after a fire broke out at the facility, officials said.

A fire at a one of the world’s largest battery plants in California contained tens of thousands of lithium batteries that store power from renewable energy sources.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the Moss Landing Power Plant, a coastal facility in Monterey County owned by Vistra Energy. Company spokesperson Jenny Lyon confirmed that on-site personnel were evacuated and that investigations into the cause would begin once the fire is extinguished.

A fire at a major battery-storage plant in Northern California prompted the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents and the closure of schools and parts of Highway 1 nearby. Residents of the area around the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County were evacuated late Thursday after the fire broke out.

A fire at the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California smoldered Friday after sending plumes of toxic smoke into the atmosphere, leading to the evacuation of up to 1,500 people.

Evacuations were lifted Friday night for people near an ongoing fire that erupted Thursday at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in the northern half of California. Video circulating on social media showed smoke and flames erupting from the Moss Landing Power Plant on Thursday night in the Monterey County community of Moss Landing,

A fire broke out at one of the world's largest lithium battery storage facilities in Monterey County, California, forcing evacuation orders and closing a portion of coastal Highway 1.