Residents and businesses in the Escondido area faced a severe threat yesterday as a fire broke out at an SDG&E battery storage facility. According to the City of Escondido, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the vicinity east of Alpine St., south of Mission Road, west of Enterprise St., and north of Auto Park Way. The public was urged to leave the area promptly and relocate to safer grounds, as communicated through notifications sent to those in the affected region.
A fire at the SDG&E Yard on Enterprise St. led to a first-alarm response from the Escondido Fire Department after reports of an alarm and visible smoke from a lithium-ion battery trailer. The Escondido Police Department evacuated nearby businesses, and San Diego County Hazmat teams helped. The fire was contained to one trailer, and firefighters worked from a distance to keep it from spreading.
SDG&E provided further updates on the developing situation, detailing their response to the emergency. "This afternoon, safety crews responded to a fire at SDG&E’s battery storage facility in Escondido. Advanced fire suppression systems were activated immediately, and the event is limited to one of 24 battery storage containers," SDG&E said in a statement, per 10 News. They assured that there were no reported injuries and that a comprehensive review would be underway to establish the incident's cause.
The emergency nature of the situation also prompted the Escondido Police Department to issue a shelter-in-place order for areas flanking I-15 and within Enterprise Way, Auto Park Way, and W. Mission Ave. Residents were advised to stay informed and connected through the Genasys Protect phone application for real-time updates on the lithium fire incident and safety directives. Details and a direct link to the protective app could be found on their Facebook page.
