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 Texas energy company and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. failed to take proper safety measures to prevent a massive battery fire in Moss Landing in Monterey County last month that spewed chemicals into the air and polluted waterways,

Last month, a fire at the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California sent plumes of toxic smoke into the atmosphere, evacuating up to 1,500 people. The blaze also shook up the young battery storage industry.