Reported battery fire during planned maintenance at Vitry-sur-Seine data centre
Sept 2019Published 7 Sept 2026Updated 13 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Scalway DC3 data centre in Vitry-sur-Seine, France
- What
- Small explosion and battery fire on A inverter chain
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Not reported
- Outcome
- Fire controlled, chains isolated, normal operation restored
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What happened
A battery fire was reported at DC3, a data centre in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, operated by Scalway, a subsidiary of Iliad. According to Scalway's chief executive, as quoted by Univers Freebox, the fire occurred on chain A, affecting UPS unit A1 of five, during planned annual maintenance. The operator said the fire was controlled, the room was smoke-cleared immediately, both battery chains were isolated, and the other UPS units continued to operate normally with no impact.
The operator described the incident as having no consequences. The EPRI BESS Failure Incident Database records a small explosion in an indoor lithium-ion battery system at the same location and date. The sources differ on whether the event was a fire or an explosion. Cause, injuries, downtime and any regulatory action are not reported.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The fire occurred during planned annual maintenance work on the UPS system, but no cause was stated in the sources.
Lessons learned
- Maintenance on UPS battery systems needs defined isolation, permit-to-work and fire watch procedures.
- Battery chains should be capable of quick isolation, and indoor battery rooms should have smoke extraction ready before work starts.
- Operators should publish a root cause analysis so that events are described consistently.
More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Technical cause of the explosion and fire
- Battery system model and age
- Duration of any service interruption
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Standards referenced
EPRI
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
