Battery storage fire at Creekside Marketplace EV charging station in San Marcos
EIR-0099A 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.
Not reported; the cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of the report.
- Battery storage units co-located with public EV charging infrastructure require the same emergency response protocols as utility-scale systems, including hazmat support.
- Precautionary area closures around an affected unit help protect the public while cooling and monitoring take place.
- Extended on-site monitoring after apparent suppression is necessary given the re-ignition risk of lithium-ion battery fires.
- Clear separation between battery storage equipment and adjacent charging hardware can limit damage to only the failed unit.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.