On the night of August 27, 2026, a storage hall measuring approximately 500 square meters burned down in Stâlpu, in Romania’s Buzău County. The building housed a battery energy storage system. Firefighters later identified the heat generated by a faulty electrical conductor as the probable cause. However, high temperatures, dense smoke, and the presence of the batteries significantly hampered firefighting efforts. Additionally, two nearby oil transformers had to be protected from the flames. There were no injuries, and authorities deemed an RO-Alert warning unnecessary due to the distance from residential areas.
Battery storage systems force firefighters to adopt defensive tactics
When emergency crews arrived, the entire hall was fully engulfed in flames. Due to the high temperatures, dense smoke, and hazards posed by the storage batteries, firefighters maintained a distance of approximately 200 meters and fought the fire defensively. The building is part of a complex comprising two halls, both equipped with fire alarm and suppression systems. However, smoke also accumulated in the second, unused hall.
Representative image: AI-generated
Initially, the Buzău fire department deployed six fire trucks. An emergency response vehicle and a SMURD ambulance were also on standby. Prahova dispatched, among other assets, a specialized vehicle equipped with dry chemical extinguishing agents and nitrogen. Additionally, a transport vehicle for firefighting robots and a dry chemical container arrived from the Bucharest-Ilfov region. Later, further units from Ialomița, Prahova, and Bucharest-Ilfov reinforced the operation.
Two oil transformers right next to the fire
Particular attention was paid to two oil transformers located in the immediate vicinity of the burning warehouse. Emergency crews succeeded, however, in preventing the flames from spreading to these units. A fire involving an additional transformer could have significantly exacerbated the situation; consequently, some of the forces focused on shielding this area.
At the same time, heavy smoke and high temperatures hampered operations. However, the site of the fire is located well away from residential areas, so authorities decided against issuing an alert via Romania’s RO-Alert system. After the fire was extinguished, two fire trucks remained at the battery storage facility to monitor for any potential hotspots. Authorities reported no injuries throughout the entire operation.
Faulty electrical conductor identified as cause of fire
On August 28, the fire department identified a faulty electrical conductor as the probable cause, stating that the heat generated by the conductor likely ignited the blaze. However, authorities have not yet released details regarding the battery chemistry used in the storage system; consequently, the published information does not indicate whether lithium-ion batteries were employed. There is also no reliable figure available yet regarding the total cost of the damage.
The fire comes as Romania is significantly expanding its electricity storage capacity. The country is allocating 150 million euros for new standalone storage facilities, with the funding intended to enable the addition of at least 2,174 MWh of capacity. Companies can submit their projects between September 1 and October 30, 2026. This initiative is expected to lead to a significant increase in the number of large-scale battery storage systems connected to the Romanian power grid in the coming years.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: Opinia Buzău (28.08.26) – IGSU Rumänien (27.08.26) – News.ro (27.08.26) – Digi24 (27.08.26)