Why this matters for Pembroke (≈24 MWh, outdoor yard): Several U.S. incidents in the 8–40 MWh range (same general size band) led to shelter‑in‑place orders, road closures, and multi‑day monitoring. Links below are to mainstream/local coverage and technical summaries you can cite.
What happened: Fire and alarms at two adjacent BESS sites near school buildings; evacuations and smoke concerns.
News/refs:
• ioMosaic summary of the incident and evacuations — https://www.iomosaic.com/news-and-events/news-details/2023/09/19/battery-fires-challenge-warwick-ny-energy-storage-safety-measures
• EPRI incident entry (Warwick, NY) — https://storagewiki.epri.com/index.php/Failure_Event_-_US%2C_NY%2C_Warwick_-_27_Jun_2023
• East Hampton Star context piece referencing the Warwick fire — https://www.easthamptonstar.com/government/202376/after-fire-substation-new-battery-worries
What happened: “Smoldering battery”; internal sprinklers; facility offline for months.
News: Newsday — https://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/battery-east-hampton-lipa-fire-mv0wfe7k
(Additional local coverage/tag: TBR News Media — https://tbrnewsmedia.com/tag/lipa/)
What happened: Container fire; shelter‑in‑place within 1 mile; batteries smoldered for days; air monitoring.
News/refs:
• NCPR radio report — https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/48280/20230811/solar-battery-fire-in-jefferson-county-raises-concerns-for-the-future
• WWNY TV coverage — https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/07/28/convergent-offers-words-apology-solar-farm-fire-continues-burn/
• EPRI incident entry (Chaumont, NY) — https://storagewiki.epri.com/index.php/Failure_Event_-_US%2C_NY%2C_Chaumont_-_27_Jul_2023
What happened: Pre‑commissioning fire; road closures; allowed to burn out over ~3 days; air‑quality testing.
News: KTVB (boise) update — https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-battery-fire-at-idaho-power-substation-in-melba/277-86b31e65-5c9f-468b-9cd8-cd5502847ac7
(Video update) — https://www.ktvb.com/video/news/local/update-battery-fire-still-burning-at-idaho-power-substation-in-melba/277-b0d5c281-e2ca-48dd-bea3-ac48d42ac52e
What happened: Multi‑day fire at utility BESS; facility taken offline; illustrates shutdown/notification needs. (Larger than Pembroke but still sub‑GWh scale.)
News: BatteryTechOnline roundup w/ local citations — https://www.batterytechonline.com/stationary-batteries/reigniting-san-diego-bess-fire-highlights-thermal-runaway-risks
What happened: Major BESS fire; ~1,500 evacuees; Highway 1 closure; EPA/air monitoring. (Much larger than Pembroke but shows worst‑case public measures.)
News:
• AP News — https://apnews.com/article/7c561fed096f410ddecfb04722a8b1f8
• The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/17/california-battery-plant-fire-monterey
• The Verge — https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/17/24345859/battery-plant-fire-california-moss-landing-vistra
• SFGate — https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/moss-landing-power-plant-fire-20039730.php
• CBS Bay Area — https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/monterey-county-sheriff-issues-evacuation-orders-due-to-moss-landing-power-plant-fire/
7. Surprise, AZ (APS McMicken) (Apr 19, 2019) |
What Happened ~2.16 MWh; container/building-style | Firefighters opened a container during a thermal event; flammable gases accumulated and deflagrated, seriously injuring responders | Key lessons: gas detection, automatic exhaust/venting, and strict door-opening protocols in a signed ER plan to prevent gas build-up |
News
• https://www.utilitydive.com/news/aps-says-runaway-thermal-event-caused-2019-battery-explosion-outlines-4-st/582475/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://fsri.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/Four_Firefighters_Injured_In_Lithium_Ion_Battery_ESS_Explosion_Arizona_0.pdf?
• https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/Equipment-failure-at-McMicken-Battery-Facility?utm_source=chatgpt.com