On May 15, 2024 a fire started in a energy storage facility as the result of thermal runaway in a lithium ion battery storage unity in the Otay Mesa district of San Diego at the Gateway Energy, LLC facility. The fire burned for approximately 7 days for burning itself out. The San Diego County Fire Department-CALFIRE set up a Unified Command with cooperating agencies including San Diego Fire Department, San Diego County Environmental Health Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT), San Diego County Public Works-Storm Water Management and EPA to respond to the fire. with CALFIRE remaining in the lead. On May 25, 2024, HIRT requested EPA assume responsibility for the oversight of air surveillance and water monitoring operations. EPA issued a NFRA to the PRP and is working with CALFIRE to transition from the Response to the Cleanup Phase.
Gateway demolished building three to gain access to the battery pillars in the fall of 2023. In late January 2025, Gateway and their contractors under the oversight of the Unified Command (EPA, HIRT and CALFIRE) began the mitigation and removal of the fire damaged lithium lion batteries. The removal is expected to continue until mid-to late summer 2025. More information can be obtained from the the Community Fact sheet under the Documents Tab.
