Monitoring continues at Parkfield battery storage facility after fire is extinguished.

The Aug. 30 fire at the California Flats Energy Storage Project in a solar farm near Parkfield in southern Monterey County was extinguished within 24 hours, but monitoring is ongoing 24/7.

The facility on the 92000 block of Turkey Flat Road, owned by Arizona-based Arevon, caught fire shortly after 11am. By 5:21pm, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order “out of an abundance of caution” within a two-mile radius of the facility, located southeast of Parkfield near the San Luis Obispo border.

Four hours later, the sheriff’s office lifted the evacuation order, which affected five residences, according to MCSO.

Arevon spokesperson Blair Matocha says no injuries occurred and no private property was damaged during the incident. Matocha adds that the fire was contained to four of the 84 batteries at the facility, which was detected by its thermal detection system and automatically notified emergency authorities.

The Tesla Megapack units went online in 2021. Energy generated from the solar facility is purchased by Apple and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

CalFire announced that it had turned over the facility for monitoring on Aug. 31. Representatives from Tesla remain on the scene.

“Arevon’s and the California Flats Energy Storage Project’s top priority is the safety of those who live and work in the project community,” Matocha says. “Arevon has an exceptional safety record and has successfully operated energy storage facilities in California communities since 2021.”