LITHIUM ON FIRE

LITHIUM ON FIRE

Lithium on Fire is a feature-length documentary about the Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire disaster in Monterey County, CA.

Lithium on Fire is a feature-length documentary about the Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire disaster in Monterey County, CA.

Community action response takes up the slack when state officials fail to provide any meaningful testing. Group grows several thousand strong within one week.

Never Again Moss Landing Rallies Community

Started on Jan 16, 2025, flames reached up to 150ft tall, releasing metric tons of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Nearby communities placed on lock-down.

Largest Lithium-Ion BESS Facility in the world catches fire

1000s of locals experience alarming health symptoms

In the days during and long after the fire, thousands of locals experience symptoms ranging from metallic taste in the mouth, burning throats, burning eyes, skin rashes, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and nosebleeds.

Erin Brockovich advocates for fallout victims saying:
"The Truth's Not Coming Out"

Famed environmental activist responds to calls for help, and teams up with Singleton Schreiber to investigate. 

Community action response takes up the slack when state officials fail to provide any meaningful testing. Group grows several thousand strong within one week.

Never Again Moss Landing Rallies Community

Started on Jan 16, 2025, flames reached up to 150ft tall, releasing metric tons of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Nearby communities placed on lock-down.

Largest Lithium-Ion BESS Facility in the world catches fire

Erin Brockovich advocates for fallout victims saying:
"The Truth's Not Coming Out"

Famed environmental activist responds to calls for help, and teams up with Singleton Schreiber to investigate. 

Industrial Haz-mat Expert, Michael Polkabla, of BioMax Environmental, donated his time and expertise to help quickly mobilize the community after the fire to take over 150 surface swab samples to test for heavy metals. The results of this impressive community testing effort closely matches the results from Moss Landing Marine Labs. 

Major Community-Led
Testing Study

Toxic Heavy Metals Detected

Singleton Schreiber, Danko Meredith, Fiore Ackerman, and other lawfirms file lawsuits for hundreds of individuals and several businesses in Moss Landing and surrounding communities for healtha and financial damages.

Multiple lawsuits filed for several hundreds of plaintiffs in Moss Landing after the fire

Large increases in heavy metals detected in nearby estuary right after the fire. Levels increased up to 1000x higher than normal by world reknowned marine-life research center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Industrial Haz-mat Expert, Michael Polkabla, of BioMax Environmental, donated his time and expertise to help quickly mobilize the community after the fire to take over 150 surface swab samples to test for heavy metals. The results of this impressive community testing effort closely matches the results from Moss Landing Marine Labs. 

Major Community-Led
Testing Study

Toxic Heavy Metals Detected

Large increases in heavy metals detected in nearby estuary right after the fire. Levels increased up to 1000x higher than normal by world reknowned marine-life research center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Multiple lawsuits filed for several hundreds of plaintiffs in Moss Landing after the fire

On January 16, 2025, a fire erupted at the Vistra Moss Landing Battery Plant, the largest lithium-ion battery storage facility in the world. 

LITHIUM ON FIRE

The blaze burned for days, sending toxic, chemical-laden smoke into the surrounding communities of Moss Landing, Castroville, and Salinas Valley, home to thousands of residents and the heart of California’s agricultural industry. As the fire raged, locals began experiencing alarming symptoms—metallic tastes in their mouths, nausea, burning eyes, and respiratory distress. Yet, official agencies insisted the air was safe.

Through immersive storytelling and thoughtful analysis, Lithium on Fire unpacks the aftermath of this disaster, its health and environmental consequences, and the broader implications of lithium battery storage technology. The film follows impacted residents, public health experts, legal advocates, and scientists as they unravel the truth behind the fire’s risks, the inadaquacies of emergency response, and its long-term impact on the community.

At the heart of the story is the grassroots fight for accountability. In the wake of the disaster, five community members formed the Never Again Moss Landing coalition, demanding transparency from officials, corporate responsibility from Vistra, and stronger environmental protections. Their activism unfolds in real time, providing an intimate, character-driven window into a town standing up against industrial negligence.

The film also explores the legal battle led by Erin Brockovich’s law firm, which seeks justice for those affected. As community members document their lingering health symptoms and researchers from Moss Landing Marine Labs and San Jose State University conduct ongoing environmental testing, a disturbing reality emerges, government agencies and industry insiders may not have had the tools (or the willingness) to measure the true extent of contamination.

This documentary deconstructs the science of battery storage and fire risk, examining how outdated facility designs, fast-tracked by the state’s renewable energy policies, may have contributed to the fire. With insights from toxicologists, engineers, public health experts, and environmental watchdogs, Lithium on Fire illuminates the gaps that exist in public health and safety related to lithium-ion battery storage. Through investigative filmmaking and scientific inquiry, Lithium on Fire not only documents a community fighting for justice but also raises larger questions about the future of renewable energy infrastructure, the safety of lithium battery storage, and the true cost of technological progress.