Story perspectives

Battery Storage Fires Spark Protests Over Safety Risks

9/12/2025

28 5

Summary

Story summary

BESS technology raises serious fire vulnerability concerns, prompting protests.
A fire in Essex, UK, took 24 hours to extinguish, while a Liverpool fire lasted 59 hours.
A January fire at a large BESS plant in California resulted in 1,500 evacuations and a highway closure.
Thermal runaway from short-circuits or defects can ignite fires, producing flammable gases and risking explosions.
BESS facilities contain millions of battery cells, which can accelerate fire spread.

1 of 1

Story summary

BESS technology raises serious fire vulnerability concerns, prompting protests.
A fire in Essex, UK, took 24 hours to extinguish, while a Liverpool fire lasted 59 hours.
A January fire at a large BESS plant in California resulted in 1,500 evacuations and a highway closure.
Thermal runaway from short-circuits or defects can ignite fires, producing flammable gases and risking explosions.
BESS facilities contain millions of battery cells, which can accelerate fire spread.