Lithium-Ion Battery Malfunction Causes County Fire Damage

A structure fire was reported on March 30, 2026, at approximately 1:11 p.m. at a county-owned industrial storage building located at 200 Francis Sanders Drive in Oakland.

The fire, discovered by employees, originated in a storage room and was quickly brought under control within five minutes by the Deer Park Community Volunteer Fire Department. A total of 15 firefighters responded to the single-alarm incident.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

Damage is estimated at $25,000 to the structure and an additional $25,000 to contents. A smoke alarm was present and activated during the incident; however, no fire alarm or sprinkler system was installed.

The preliminary cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental, resulting from a lithium-ion battery malfunction. Officials noted that an employee had plugged in a septic system camera to charge earlier in the day prior to the fire.

 

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Created 3/31/2026 5:07pm