Evacuation orders were issued Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22 after a lithium-ion battery fire broke out at a Metropolitan Water District facility in La Verne, authorities said.
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The fire erupted in the 3000 block of Wheeler Avenue, according to CBS Los Angeles.
La Verne police described it as a hazardous-materials incident involving lithium-ion batteries.
An Alert LA County map showed evacuation areas stretching south of the 210 Freeway through portions of La Verne, including areas near Foothill Boulevard, Bonita Avenue and Third Street. The alert also identified B Street, North White Avenue and Williams Avenue among the boundaries of the affected area.
“LEAVE NOW,” the alert said, warning that people’s safety could be in danger if they remained in the area.
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Police also ordered residents east of Wheeler Avenue to shelter in place and keep windows and doors closed until further notice, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Shelter-in-place orders were also issued for Grace Miller Elementary School and Bonita High School, CBS reported.
Authorities urged people evacuating the area to use caution and call 911 if they needed emergency assistance.
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The cause of the fire and whether anyone was injured were not immediately known.