• A Tesla Megapack fire at the Victorian Big Battery in Southeast Australia was brought under control Monday afternoon.
• Results of the investigation will be closely watched, and could influence the way such systems are designed and built, according to Paul Christensen, a professor of electrochemistry at Newcastle University whose research focuses on lithium ion battery fires and safety.
• His recommendations include monitors within the systems, and enough space for fire crews to maneuver and aim a hose. //

Christensen also said these systems should be designed to allow space for first responders to maneuver around and aim a hose. Plenty of water should available on site, with enough hydrants installed. Containers would ideally have "dead pipes" that are capped and stick out, allowing firefighters to connect a hose, then step away and flood the container to extinguish the flames from a safe distance.

At the moment, water remains the best way to suppress a fire in any lithium ion battery energy storage system //

The Tesla Megapack fire first occurred within the 300 megawatt (450 megawatt hours) system in Geelong, Victoria starting Friday morning. More than 30 fire trucks and support vehicles and about 150 fire fighters from the CFA and local Fire Rescue Victoria responded, containing the flames so they only affected two Megapacks of the approximately 210 that make up the system. //

There have been around 40 known fires that have occurred within large-scale, lithium ion battery energy storage systems, according to Christensen's research. Those incidents, most of which occurred in the past three years, date back to 2012, and include four fires at three facilities in the U.S. in Arizona, Wisconsin and Illinois.