After a massive lithium ion battery storage site exploded into flames in Monterey County — spewing toxic gases into the air and scattering heavy metals over the ground — residents have filed a lawsuit accusing multiple energy companies of failing to maintain adequate fire safety at the facility.

A group of community members filed a lawsuit against Vistra Corp., a Texas-based company that owns the Moss Landing power plant and battery storage facility. The lawsuit demands a full investigation into what caused the fire on Jan.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday on behalf of local residents impacted by the January 16 fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant. An inferno ignited inside a building that is part of