Battery storage fire at Automotive Campus, Helmond reignites days later
Dec 2023Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Automotive Campus, Helmond, Netherlands
- Manufacturer
- Dens
- What
- Fire in mobile battery storage container
- Response
- Crews cooled unit until handover on 30 December
- Outcome
- Fire reignited in early hours after handover
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Dens
What happened
On Christmas Day 2023, a fire was reported in a mobile battery energy storage container, manufactured by Dens, at the Automotive Campus in Helmond, Netherlands. On arrival, fire crews found flames and flaring from lithium-ion battery cells consistent with thermal runaway. Three other battery containers stood nearby, close enough that fire spread was possible. Crews initially worked defensively, using water to shield the adjacent units, then disconnected them from the grid and relocated them, one manually and two using a heavy-lift vehicle brought in by the equipment owner.
After considering several stabilisation options, responders chose continuous cooling of the burning unit. The fire was brought to a stable state and handed back to the company on 30 December. However, in the early hours of that night, the fire reignited after the container had appeared extinguished, triggering a further emergency response to control it again.
Contributing factors
The nearest primary water supply was found not to be working, delaying initial fire fighting. The battery containers were parked close together, creating a risk of fire spread between units. Two of the adjacent containers were too heavy (around 30 tonnes) for the fire brigade's own equipment to move, requiring the owner's heavy-lift vehicle. The installed aerosol fire suppression system's activation and effectiveness could not be confirmed. Thermal runaway in lithium-ion cells made the fire difficult to fully extinguish, contributing to a later reignition.
Lessons learned
- A lithium-ion battery container at the Automotive Campus showed thermal runaway, so operators must confirm aerosol suppression works and plan for continuous cooling.
- Three battery containers stood close together at Helmond, so sites must keep enough separation to stop fire spread between units.
- Two 30-tonne containers at the site could not be moved by fire brigade equipment, so plans must include access to suitable heavy-lift vehicles.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the thermal runaway
- Model and age of the Dens container
- Duration of site downtime
- Cost of the incident and repairs
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
