Multiple battery fires prompt full replacement at Chesterfield data centre
Sept 2025Published 2 Oct 2026
What happened
Four fire incidents were reported at the CTP-01 facility operated by Chirisa Technology Parks in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The company said the latest fire, on the Monday before a 12 September 2025 report, was caused by a single battery that caught fire. It said the fire was contained within the battery cabinet by a suppression system and did not spread to the battery room or the building. Earlier calls were reported on 5 December, 10 June and 20 August; the source does not give the years.
Chesterfield Fire and EMS responded to each call. The operator said it would immediately remove and replace all batteries with units from a different manufacturer.
Contributing factors
The operator said it believed a manufacturing defect caused the latest fire. Fire officials said the company was working with the fire marshal's office on the root cause. No independent finding is reported.
Lessons learned
- Operators should monitor battery performance closely when several thermal events occur at the same facility.
- Replacing an entire battery population may be warranted when a manufacturing defect is suspected and not yet confirmed.
- Close cooperation with local fire authorities helps identify and reduce future risks.
Source
Published 2026-10-02. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.