TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – A has Town of Poughkeepsie Republicans warning of the dangers.  The Warwick BESS fire is believed to have been ignited as a result of water infiltrating the facility, which officials say was also the cause of the 2023 fire.  The building reopened on Sunday, despite the fire still burning inside.

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Town of Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer, speaking of the BESS fire in the Village of Warwick, said the emissions from this event “represent an enormous public safety concern.”

This is the second fire at this facility, following a similar incident in 2023. “After that first fire, the Town of Warwick immediately enacted a strict moratorium prohibiting the construction of any new battery energy storage facilities within the town,” Dwyer said. “That moratorium remains firmly in place, and incidents like this only reinforce why it was necessary.”

Officials noted that Orange County HAZMAT personnel have been monitoring air quality at and around the site, as well as in nearby areas, and have reported no concerning air quality readings to date. “Air quality remains our greatest concern in situations like this, and we will not hesitate to take further action should conditions change.”
The Town of Poughkeepsie, in Dutchess County, spent months debating permission to allow a BESS site in the town.  The facility was opposed by the Republican minority on the town board, who raised concerns of potential fires like the one in Warwick, which immediately requires HAZMAT personnel to respond.
Retiring Poughkeepsie Town Councilman Mike Cifone opposed the Poughkeepsie plan, championed by Town Supervisor Rebecca Edwards, a Democrat.  On Monday, Cifone reminded people that he opposed the Democratic initiative.  “The Town of Poughkeepsie town board voted 4-3 to put a BESS facility on Route 55 to benefit Vassar College and Governor Hochul’s agenda.  All three Republican board members voted no to the plan in order to protect the public.”  Cifone stressed his opposition was safety-based.  “There was no safety plan in place.”


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