Third battery fire at Warwick storage site raises safety questions

What happened

A lithium-ion battery fire broke out on a Friday night at an energy storage facility operated by Convergent Energy and Power on Church Street in Warwick. The company said the fire was localised in one unit, extinguished within 24 hours and caused no injuries. Officials said the fire was out, while crews continued to monitor falling battery temperatures for several days. Heavy rain and wind were reported. Air-quality monitors around the site and nearby areas did not show readings above federal guidelines, though final data had not been released.

The report describes this as the third lithium-ion battery fire in Warwick in roughly two years, involving two Convergent sites. The company said systems there had been replaced after the 2023 incidents.

Contributing factors

A local official said heavy rain and wind may have let water into the system and started the fire, as was said of earlier Warwick incidents. The operator said it was too early to determine the cause and that a root-cause analysis was under way.

Lessons learned

1. Battery storage enclosures need to keep water out in severe weather if water ingress is not to create electrical faults.
2. Air-quality checks after a battery fire do not by themselves show whether smoke has left residue on surfaces, soil or water.
3. Repeat fires at sites run by the same operator are a reason for independent inspection and for sharing root-cause findings once they are known.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, emergency response and public communication, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Exact site or installation type
• Date of the latest fire
• Response details and duration
• Cause and any injuries

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

Source

westchester.news12.com