A fire broke out Tuesday at a battery energy storage system at a Metropolitan Water District facility in La Verne, sending crews to the 3200 block of Wheeler Avenue and forcing nearby schools and businesses to change operations fast. Grace Elementary School was placed under a shelter-in-place order, while the University of La Verne was evacuated and classes were cancelled until further notice.
Wheeler Avenue fire response
The fire was reported at around 11:40 a.m. near a solar panel field on the northeast side of the facility. The La Verne Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded, and Mark Savage, a La Verne Fire Department battalion chief, said one employee suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
Evacuation orders covered the immediate area around the facility, while evacuation warnings reached north and east of the area. Shopping centers along Wheeler north of Foothill Boulevard were evacuated as a precaution, and Holly Oak Street south of Grace Elementary School was closed to traffic.
Grace Elementary School and nearby campuses
Students were apparently being released from Grace Elementary School while the fire was being battled. Ramona Middle School and Bonita High School were also affected, and Holy Name of Mary School and Damien High School were evacuated.
The University of La Verne was evacuated as well, and all University of La Verne classes were cancelled until further notice. For people in the area, that meant staying clear of the affected streets, following evacuation instructions and waiting for campus or school directions before returning.
Metropolitan Water District facility
The fire centered on a battery energy storage system at a Metropolitan Water District facility, but the district said the safety of the water supply is not affected. That left the public facing a narrow but urgent disruption: a fire scene with school and campus evacuations, while the water system itself remained outside the immediate threat.
What caused the fire at the Metropolitan Water District facility was not stated, and the practical next step for anyone affected is to follow the evacuation and closure notices tied to the schools, campus and streets in La Verne.
