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Battery storageUnited StatesEIR-0129

Smoke from battery storage building prompts closure at West Thumb Geyser Basin

Sept 2022Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorGas release
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
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out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Operator
NorthWestern Energy
What
Smoke from battery storage building
Injuries
None reported
Response
Site closed for roughly two weeks

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): NorthWestern Energy

What happened

Utility staff from NorthWestern Energy reported smoke coming from a small building housing a solar-plus-battery energy storage system at West Thumb Geyser Basin, a public visitor site in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Emergency responders were dispatched and found smoke but no visible flames, and the exterior of the building was undamaged. Because battery off-gas can be corrosive and hazardous if inhaled, the surrounding public area was closed as a precaution while the batteries were allowed to fully discharge and fumes dissipated.

The site remained closed for roughly two weeks while fire crews monitored conditions, and it reopened once assessed as safe. No injuries were reported and no fire damage to the structure occurred.

Contributing factors

Not reported in available sources.

Lessons learned

  1. Battery storage at public sites needs rapid isolation and controlled discharge plans when smoke appears, to limit exposure to off-gas.
  2. Fire crews should monitor battery buildings after smoke events until fumes clear and the site is assessed safe.
  3. Precautionary closures protect visitors from toxic battery fumes even with no visible flames or structural damage.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Contributing factors
  • Battery model and age
  • Cost of the incident

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

Source

epri.box.com

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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