A massive fire at the Moss Landing battery storage plant in Northern California prompted the evacuation of 1,700 people and the closure of a major highway.

The blaze, which began Thursday, has significantly diminished, but fire crews are letting it burn out due to the difficulty of extinguishing lithium battery fires.

Residents raised concerns about air quality, and local schools were closed.

The plant, owned by Vistra Energy, stores lithium batteries for renewable energy, a critical but fire-prone technology, KCRA 3 has reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, with all staff evacuated safely.

Written by B.C. Begley