WARWICK\u00a0\u2014 Three days after flames engulfed a lithium-ion battery storage facility in Orange County, town officials said the fire was still burning, prompting new concerns\u00a0about air quality.<\/p>\n
The fire overtook the Convergent battery storage site at 28 Church St. around 10:30 p.m. Friday, officials said. A spokesperson for the energy company said it was \u201ctoo early\u201d to know what caused the fire, but Warwick Village Mayor Michael\u00a0Newhard said initial reports indicated it was sparked by water entering the storage system. Lithium inside the batteries can ignite when it comes into contact with water.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the fire has diminished to very low levels as of today, it has continued to burn for several days and represents an enormous public safety concern,\u201d Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer wrote Monday\u00a0in a post on the town\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Thermal readings indicated the site was \u201cstill emitting heat\u201d as of Monday morning and \u201chad almost fully subsided\u201d as of Monday afternoon, Dwyer said. The company spokesperson said the \u201cfire extinguished within 24 hours,\u201d a claim the supervisor called \u201cnonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orange County\u2019s hazardous materials response team continued to monitor air quality for signs of elevated levels of toxic gases at and around the fire. The team had \u201creported no concerning air quality readings to date,\u201d Dwyer said.<\/p>\n
Often pitched as a way to help New York meet its renewable power goals<\/a>, bulk battery energy storage systems have proven controversial in some communities<\/a>. Proponents say the systems smooth out the inconsistencies of solar and wind generation by drawing power from the grid and releasing it during periods of high demand. But critics question the safety of the volatile and highly flammable batteries.<\/p>\n