PEI Solar Farm Fire Latest in Major Battery Facility Incidents

News Analysis When a fire broke out in a battery storage bank at the Sunbank solar farm in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, nearby residents were warned to shut their windows, turn off home ventilation systems, and stay indoors. Officials established a voluntary evacuation zone within 500 metres of the Sept. 7 fire due to concerns about hazardous smoke, and local schools closed over air-quality risks as emergency crews worked to contain the plume. The 21.6-megawatt facility combines thousands of solar panels with large-scale battery storage systems that feed power into the municipal grid. “A lot of my colleagues barely slept because they were worried,” said resident Aestos O’Brien-Balamut, who fled his home in the evacuation zone to stay with nearby in-laws, grabbing some belongings and a cat on the way out.