Summerside Sunbank BESS fire forces shelter and voluntary evacuation
Photo: Qurren, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Battery fire at the city-owned Summerside Sunbank Solar/Battery Farm (P.E.I.) on Sep 7 prompted shelter-in-place, then voluntary evacuation within 500 m, as responders warned battery smoke can be toxic and water must not be applied directly. Underwriters and risk managers should treat co-located solar+BESS as a first-responder and community-exposure issue: toxic plume protocols, road closures, and prolonged scene times are now part of the loss narrative even when the fire is later "contained."