La Verne on Alert as Lithium-Ion Fire Triggers Evacuation Orders

Evacuation orders were issued in La Verne after a hazardous lithium-ion battery fire at a Metropolitan Water District facility on Wheeler Avenue. Residents near Wheeler and Bonita Avenue were told to evacuate, while those east of Wheeler were instructed to shelter in place; Grace Miller Elementary School and Bonita High School were likewise placed under shelter-in-place. No injuries reported; cause under investigation; the situation is developing.