Solar farm lithium-ion battery fire took four days to extinguish

A lithium-ion battery fire in a solar farm by Lake Ontario in New York state took four days to extinguish. The fire sparked air quality alerts as large amounts of potentially toxic smoke was affecting the community. 

According to FireRescue1.com, fire crews officially halted water operations at the site of the solar farm fire at 11 a.m. Sunday July 30th. Officials said water operations were stopped as the battery storage fire was contained. They continue to check the area to ensure the air quality remains normal.

The fire started on Thursday July 27, and according to CBS News,  New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an advisory Thursday night due to potentially toxic smoke coming from a battery fire at a solar farm burning near the Canadian border.

In a statement, Hochul said that the "large battery fire" had "caused significant damage and is emitting large amounts of smoke that may pose health risks."

The investigation into what caused the fire in Chaumont, NY will be done by Convergent Energy and Power, owners of the battery storage units, officials said. 

Once the heat in the battery storage unite is gone, the investigation will start.

"Our goal is to de-escalate this as reasonably as we are able.  We stopped flowing water but we kept resources available to flow water if something changed," said Niel D. Rivenburgh, deputy director for the Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Services. 

Lyme Town Supervisor Terry Countryman said on Friday July 28 that there were no immediate health or safety concerns,no toxic byproducts in the air, and no indication of groundwater contamination or runoff contamination posing health risks.

Good opportunity to learn about solar farm fires

Niel D. Rivenburgh, deputy director for the Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Services said this is an opportunity for first-responders to learn from the incident as solar farms are emerging throughout the United States.

"There's been an incredible opportunity to learn from this incident... that's one of the reasons that we engaged, not just to let Chaumont stand down after their first 36 hours, but because if we get other chiefs and operators in here we are able to give them the tidbits of information to keep them safe when something happens in their solar projects."

Photo Credit:   Three Mill Bay Fire Company Inc.