Battery storage explosion at Saint-Esprit poultry farm forces evacuation in Martinique

What happened

On the evening of 29 September 2023, an explosion occurred in a lithium-ion battery storage container at the SICA Madras poultry farm in the Peter Maillet district of Saint-Esprit, Martinique. The blast was felt by at least 300 nearby households and blew out windows in the closest homes, prompting the evacuation of some residents. A fire then broke out and spread to a storage module containing around 400 additional batteries.

Around twenty firefighters from several barracks, supported by utility agents, brought the fire under control after roughly three hours using a water curtain to limit toxic fume exposure followed by powder and foam extinguishing agents. No injuries were reported. The energy storage system, which supported the site's photovoltaic panels, was destroyed, and the poultry farm was left without electricity. Estimated financial losses exceeded one million euros.

Contributing factors

The fire followed an explosion attributed in initial reports to a lithium battery within the storage container; a detailed root cause was not published in available sources.

Lessons learned

1. A lithium-ion battery explosion at a farm site can damage nearby homes, so operators must install blast containment and maintain resident evacuation zones.
2. Fire in a BESS module holding hundreds of batteries requires utility isolation before suppression, to prevent further module involvement.
3. Toxic fumes from a BESS fire need water curtains before powder or foam use, to protect responders and residents.

More lessons on emergency response and public communication, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Detailed root cause of the explosion
• Battery model, age and capacity
• Length of power outage at the farm

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

Source

la1ere.francetvinfo.fr