Single container fire at West Warwick 3 Battery Storage Site in Warwick, New York

On 19 December 2025, a fire occurred at the West Warwick 3 Battery Energy Storage Site (28 Church Street), located in Warwick, New York, United States. The facility is operated by Convergent Energy and Power, owned by Warwick Valley BBA, and uses battery systems manufactured by Powin, with Convergent serving as integrator. The battery system, rated at 4.0 MW and 17.9 MWh using lithium iron phosphate chemistry, was fully charged at the time of the incident. The fire was contained to a single battery container, with damage estimated at under one percent of total system capacity. There were no reported injuries. The state of charge was reduced to fifty percent as a precaution. Local fire, police and EMS services responded, along with a county hazardous materials team. Air quality monitoring was carried out for several days afterward. The same site had experienced an earlier fire in 2023, attributed to water infiltration. Following the December 2025 incident, the battery system was disconnected from the grid, internal connections removed and voltage drawn down, with battery removal and a formal Root Cause Analysis subsequently undertaken.

A prior fire in 2023 at the same site was attributed to water infiltration. Weather-related factors were presumed to have contributed to the December 2025 fire, pending completion of a formal Root Cause Analysis. The battery manufacturer, Powin, subsequently declared bankruptcy. The facility was reported to be operating without a current municipal Certificate of Compliance at the time of the incident.

1. Outdoor battery enclosures require robust weatherproofing and moisture ingress protection, particularly where a site has a history of water-related failures.
2. Facilities should maintain valid compliance certificates and cooperate with municipal requests for post-weather-event safety inspections.
3. Extended air quality monitoring after a battery fire is warranted given the potential for prolonged off-gassing.
4. Clear protocols for sharing Root Cause Analysis findings with host communities and regulators support public trust and faster resolution of safety concerns.

villageofwarwickny.gov/28-church-street-west-warwick-3-battery-energy-storage-s...