Battery storage fire at Creekside Marketplace EV charging station in San Marcos

What happened

A fire was reported in the early hours at an outdoor lithium-ion battery energy storage unit operated by Tesla that supplies power to a bank of around 20 electric vehicle chargers in the car park of Creekside Marketplace, a shopping centre in San Marcos, California. Emergency services attended after a passerby reported flames near the charging station. Fire crews used water to cool the unit and brought the fire under control within about an hour.

A hazardous materials team also responded as a standard precaution for battery-related incidents. Approximately half of the car park and several nearby businesses were closed as a precaution while the incident was managed, though this was not described as a formal evacuation. There were no injuries, and no damage beyond the battery unit and its enclosure; the EV chargers themselves were undamaged. Fire crews remained on site afterwards to monitor for possible re-ignition until the unit could be safely decommissioned. The cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

Not reported; the cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of the report.

Lessons learned

1. Lithium-ion battery fires need hazmat teams and water cooling, so operators must plan for specialist support at all public EV sites.
2. Lithium-ion units can reignite, so crews must stay on site after the fire is out until the unit is decommissioned.
3. Battery units should sit apart from EV chargers so a single failure does not affect the chargers.

More lessons on emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact cause of the fire
• Battery unit model and age
• Duration of site closure
• Cost of damage and repairs

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

sandiegouniontribune.com