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Battery storageUnited StatesEIR-0666

Fire during new product testing of Powin batteries in Tualatin, Oregon

Apr 2019Published 11 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hiddenThe maker is named in 4 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Warehouse in Tualatin, Oregon, United States on 11 April 2019
Manufacturer
Powin
What
Fire during new product test of six lithium-ion battery cells
Cause
Not reported

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

What happened

A fire broke out during a new product test of six large lithium-ion battery cells at a warehouse in Tualatin, Oregon, United States, on 11 April 2019. The cells used lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry and were manufactured by Powin. The system architecture was indoor and the batteries had zero years of prior operational history, indicating the fire occurred during initial testing rather than in-service use. The application was categorised as manufacturing and testing rather than a commissioned energy storage installation. No further details on the scale of the fire, emergency response, injuries, or resulting downtime were disclosed in the available source material.

Contributing factors

Not reported by the source.

Lessons learned

  1. Lithium-ion battery cells can ignite during initial tests, so test areas need detection and suppression suited to LFP chemistry.
  2. Indoor test sites for new battery cells require fire systems matched to the scale and chemistry from the first test.

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

Not yet known

  • Scale of the fire
  • Emergency response details
  • Injuries if any
  • Resulting downtime

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

Source

epri.box.com

Other entries that name Powin

Published 2026-09-11. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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