Orange County officials have confirmed that hydrogen cyanide was detected in air-quality samples taken during a lithium-ion battery storage fire at a Convergent Energy and Power facility in Warwick earlier this month — one of three such fires connected to the company’s sites in the area over the last two years.

The fire broke out during heavy rain on Dec. 19 at the company’s 28 Church St. battery storage facility. According to Orange County emergency management officials, hydrogen cyanide was recorded at 0.5 parts per million at a meter placed just outside the facility while the fire was burning — about half of the maximum allowable amount under federal guidelines. Downwind monitors, they say, measured zero. Monitoring continued through Dec. 21 as battery temperatures dropped enough for crews to begin cleanup and investigation.

Officials are not confirming the presence of any additional chemicals during the latest fire, and final reports on the air quality or cause have not yet been released.

In 2023, two back-to-back incidents — one at the village site on Church Street and another at a Convergent facility located on Warwick school district property — involved weather-related water infiltration. During those fires, county officials confirmed “toxic chemicals” at levels considered safe but would not identify which ones.

News 12 has filed Freedom of Information Law requests for full air-quality results from all three Warwick battery fires, but those records have not been provided yet. Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard says the repeat fires are prompting new discussions about safety and accountability.

“It was heart-stopping — especially since we’ve been here before,” he told News 12 – adding that the village is now reviewing enforcement options and speaking with legal counsel.

In a statement, Protect Orange County said, "A reported hydrogen cyanide concentration of 0.5 ppm cannot be meaningfully interpreted without disclosure of the monitoring method, location, duration, and calibration, and therefore warrants immediate clarification given the compound’s known toxicity.

Even short-term exposure to hydrogen cyanide at concentrations around 0.5 ppm can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, breathing discomfort, or worsening of existing heart or lung conditions in sensitive populations. Given the known risks associated with lithium-ion battery fires, comprehensive follow-up testing for all potential fire-related contaminants, using established state-of-the-art environmental and public health protocols, must be immediately implemented alongside targeted health screening to fully assess potential exposure pathways and health impacts.

Protect Orange County continues to oppose the siting and expansion of battery storage facilities and industrial warehouses in rural and residential areas of Orange County. Our county contains unique natural, agricultural, and residential resources that require heightened protection, and the introduction of industrial-scale risks into these settings reflects a failure of responsible planning and public health oversight at the state, county, and local levels."

A county official with the Office of Emergency Management says the agency is not conducting follow-up testing, adding that a third-party mediation company is responsible for the cleanup and notifying the Department of Environmental Conservation if there is any indication that the material penetrated the soil.

In an initial statement attributed to a Convergent Energy and Power spokesperson, the company confirmed the fire was contained to a single unit and extinguished within 24 hours, saying hazmat measured air quality as safe while crews monitored the site. The company said it’s too early to determine whether this incident is connected to the 2023 fires and that a root-cause analysis is underway. Convergent says system upgrades and new safety measures were put in place following past incidents, including equipment replacements, third-party reviews and updated response plans.

News 12 has reached out to the DEC for information about follow-up testing and Convergent for updated information but didn't immediately hear back.