A fire that broke out over the weekend at a battery storage facility in Orange County has subsided to low levels, with no injuries reported, officials said.
In an update on Monday, Dec. 22, Town of Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer said the fire at the Convergent battery storage site located at 28 Church St. in Warwick, which started on Friday night, Dec. 19, has "diminished to very low levels."
The incident began at around 10:15 p.m. on Friday, according to the Town of Warwick Police Department.
Emergency crews from the Warwick Fire Department, Orange County Hazardous Materials Unit, Orange County Emergency Services, and village officials responded to the scene.
Convergent, the company that operates the facility, said a fire alarm triggered the site’s emergency response plan after a fire was detected inside one battery container. The company confirmed the fire did not spread to adjacent containers and that no one was injured.
Warwick officials said the fire was initially believed to have started from water infiltration in the system.
"Emergency services have been monitoring the situation on-site since the start, and we are grateful for their professionalism and rapid deployment," Convergent said in a statement on Saturday.
Company officials said their teams were also on site supporting the response and that the affected system was automatically shut down, with operators activating an additional emergency stop as a precaution.
Orange County Hazmat has conducted continuous air monitoring at the site and surrounding areas downwind since the incident began. As of Monday, officials have maintained that testing has shown no alarm-level readings, and monitoring will continue as a precaution.
Village officials also confirmed that a 24/7 physical presence will remain at the site until the incident is fully resolved.
In their statement, Convergent said it is too early to determine the cause of the fire and that it will continue working closely with fire, police, and village officials as the investigation continues.
Supervisor Jesse Dwyer said this marks the second fire at the facility, following a similar incident in 2023, a factor that prompted the Town of Warwick to enact a strict moratorium banning the construction of new battery energy storage facilities within the town. That moratorium remains in effect.
"Two fires at the same site in a short span of time is not an anomaly—it is a warning," Dwyer said on Monday, adding, "Until there are proven, enforceable safety standards and demonstrated long-term reliability, the Town of Warwick will continue to put public health and safety first and oppose the expansion of this technology within our community."
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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