Tesla's Biggest Battery Site Burns, Three Days Can Go Out!

A huge fire engulfs Tesla's battery site in Australia. (photo credit: cnet.com)

JAKARTA - A massive fire at a Tesla battery site in Australia that began on Saturday 30 July was brought under control on Monday, August 2, firefighters said.

Emergency services were first called to the Victoria Big Battery project - built by French renewable energy company Neoen using Tesla batteries - on Friday morning.

A 13-tonne lithium battery in a shipping container caught fire at the site near Geelong, about an hour's drive from Australia's second city Melbourne, the State Fire Service (CFA) said.

"Initially one battery caught fire, but it spread to a second battery which was very close," incident controller Ian Beswicke said in a statement.

Images released by the CFA showed plumes of smoke rising from one of the units at the site. The fire service said the incident had been declared "under control" just after 3pm (0500 GMT) on Monday, August 2.

"Firefighters have successfully completed the operation of opening all doors to the battery compartment, with no sign of fire," the CFA said in an update.

Fire authorities said the cause of the fire was not yet known.

"A small number of firefighters and fire trucks from CFA will remain on site for the next 24 hours as a precaution in the event of a re-ignition," the update added.

"Will continue to take thermal temperature readings every two hours to monitor for faulty units."

This battery site is one of the largest in the world and is designed to store energy generated by renewables and deliver power to the grid.

Local residents were initially warned of possible toxic fumes but the Environmental Protection Agency said monitoring had shown "good air quality" near homes.

Neoen Australia managing director Louis de Sambucy said no one was injured in the incident, and with the site cut off from the grid, there had been no impact on the power supply.

"Investigation preparations are ongoing and physical examinations will begin once the CFA completes their procedures," he said.