Sydney Barragan

San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif.

(TNS)

Evacuation orders were issued Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22 after a lithium-ion battery fire broke out at a Metropolitan Water District facility in La Verne, authorities said.

The fire was burning at the district’s facility in the 3000 block of Wheeler Avenue, according to officials at the water district.

The fire involved a battery energy storage system near a solar panel field on the northeast side of the property, which also houses the Weymouth Water Treatment Plant, officials said. The district said the safety of its water supply was not affected.

Due to the hazardous nature of lithium batteries, fire crews were mainly spraying the area with water to prevent the flames from spreading.

La Verne Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Savage said the fire was reported around 11:40 a.m. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews also responded to the scene.

When firefighters arrived, there was a small explosion in the battery unit, but no injuries were reported, Savage said.

Savage said the extent of the danger to nearby areas was being assessed, adding, “You don’t want to be breathing smoke off-gassing from batteries, I know that.”

An Alert LA County map showed evacuation areas stretching south of the 210 Freeway through portions of La Verne, including areas near Foothill Boulevard, Bonita Avenue and Third Street. The alert also identified B Street, North White Avenue and Williams Avenue among the boundaries of the affected area.

“LEAVE NOW,” the alert said, warning that people’s safety could be in danger if they remained in the area.

Police also ordered residents east of Wheeler Avenue to shelter in place and keep windows and doors closed until further notice, according to CBS Los Angeles.

The University of La Verne announced that it was evacuating its campus and canceling classes for the remainder of the day.

Shelter-in-place orders were also issued for Grace Miller Elementary School and Bonita High School, CBS reported. An official with the Bonita Unified School District declined to comment on how the orders were affecting the campuses.

All city sports programming within La Verne was also canceled as a precaution because of potential air-quality concerns.

Authorities urged people evacuating the area to use caution and call 911 if they needed emergency assistance.

“A hazmat team is on site and, out of an abundance of caution, has required us to do an evacuation,” Councilmember Tim Hepburn said. “Most of it is shelter-in-place, but there are evacuations for certain areas close to the fire as we are concerned about toxicity.”

An evacuation center was set up at the La Verne Community Center, at 3680 D St.

The Inland Valley Humane Society was on site at the center with crates, food, and other supplies to assist owners and pets affected by the evacuation.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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