La Verne Battery Fire Extends…La Verne Battery Fire Extends Evacuations

A lithium-ion battery storage unit caught fire at the Metropolitan Water District's Weymouth Water Treatment Plant in La Verne on September 22. Heat from the fire affected a neighboring unit, and firefighters continued cooling both systems after temperatures rose when water application paused. Evacuations remained in place while crews monitored heat and hazardous vapors; the fire's cause and the timing of residents' return were still undetermined.