Less than two weeks after a huge fire in Moss Landing at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants, scientists affiliated with San Jose State University have discovered unusually high levels of toxic metals in soils at Elkhorn Slough,

Two Pensacolians went out Thursday to shoot photos of an eerie, empty Escambia Bay Bridge. They got something equally strange instead. Border Patrol agents were reportedly shot at by suspected cartel gunmen attempting to transport illegal migrants across the US-Mexican border.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to enact a proclamation of local emergency related to the Vistra Energy fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant that started Jan. 16,

"These are very disturbing numbers," said County of Monterey Supervisor Glenn Church. "... We're in uncharted territory."

Fire is out at Moss Landing but questions persist as Monterey County Board of Supes call on all operations to remain offline until conditions are met.

One of the world’s biggest battery plants is located in a tiny harbor town perched halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey. A fire ignited January 16 inside the Moss Landing Power Plant where thousands of lithium batteries store power from renewable energy.

In an emergency meeting, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted to request Vistra Energy and PG&E cease operations at their Moss Landing battery energy storage facilities until a cause of last week's fire is determined.

A plume of material released from the plant contained hydroflouride, a toxic gas, that is now being monitored by Monterey County.

Vistra planned to build a 600-megawatt battery energy storage facility at the retired Morro Bay Power Plant property — but Assemblymember Dawn Addis called for an end to the project after the Moss Landing fire. “We can never have a disaster like this again,” she said in a statement Monday.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals have been detected at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve by scientists from San Jose State University.