Escondido battery storage fire update: All evacuation orders lifted
Video above: A battery fire at the San Diego Gas & Electric storage facility in Escondido is raising concerns among residents over a proposed battery storage plant in North County.
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two days after a fire broke out at battery storage facility in Escondido, local authorities have officially lifted all evacuation orders in the area.
The blaze ignited around noon Thursday at 571 Enterprise St., which is the address of a building operated by San Diego Gas and Electric.
Responding firefighters discovered smoke coming from one of the lithium-ion battery rank storage areas, Escondido Fire Division Chief Tyler Batson previously told FOX 5/KUSI.
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From there, a full blown response was initiated — a joint effort between SDG&E’s contracted fire brigade, county emergency response, Escondido hazmat crews, along with the local fire department.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday for the area around the facility, which is made up of largely commercial and industrial buildings. Fire officials said enacted as a “safety precaution.”
The order applied to business located east of Alpine Street, south of Mission Road, west of Enterprise Street and north of Auto Park Way, the city of Escondido said in a Facebook post that afternoon.
A map of the evacuation order boundaries can be found below:
In a joint statement released by SDG&E and the Escondido Fire Department Saturday, officials announced all evacuation orders have officially been lifted as of noon Saturday.
Also in the memo, officials explained that the fire was contained to just one storage container and has been out since 1 a.m. on Friday. According to the statement, no injuries were reported and “the air quality remains safe.”
Over the coming weeks, the Escondido Fire Department and SDG&E said it will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
FOX 5’s Danielle Dawson contributed to this report.
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