Evacuation orders were issued in La Verne after a dangerous lithium-ion fire broke out in the Metropolitan Water District Tuesday afternoon. The La Verne Police Department said the fire started around 11:40 a.m. at the facility located in the 3200 block of Wheeler Avenue. La Verne firefighters said upon arrival they heard a small explosion in a battery storage unit on the northeast side of the large facility. Evacuations were briefly issued for everyone near Wheeler and Bonita Avenue, at which point police urged residents to gather their families and leave the area. Residents east of Wheeler Avenue were also asked to shelter in place and close all windows and doors until further notice. At the time, shelter-in-place orders were issued at Grace Miller Elementary School and Bonita High School, but students were released from their campuses shortly after 3 p.m. La Verne firefighters said they believe they have the fire under control, but that crews would remain on scene overnight to make sure they could address any issues that might arise. Aerial footage of the fire showed fire trucks using their ladders to spray the area with water. Evacuation orders were issued Evacuations were temporarily issued for several neighborhoods in the surrounding area, but were lifted around 4 p.m. As of 6 p.m., evacuation orders remained in effect for: Evacuation warnings were also issued for: “We don’t want them there until we have them completely under control,” said La Verne FD Battalion Chief Mark Savage. “Things are looking a lot better now though, it’s batteries and they can have a little bit of a life of their own. So we want to make sure we get people out of harm’s way and keep them away while it may still be dangerous.” Aerial footage of the fire showed fire trucks using their ladders to spray the area with water. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is unknown. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. More from CBS News
