Mitigating lithium-ion fire risks: a review

In its most recent analysis of outage trends, Uptime Intelligence observed that the frequency of major fires at data centers has gradually increased in recent years, with growing adoption of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries contributing to the issue (see Annual outage analysis 2026). Ensuring that best practices are followed can minimize fire incidents and prevent catastrophic loss of equipment and facility — yet fires still happen (see South Korean data center fire sparks a stark reminder).

The most recent publicly-reported example occurred in June 2026, when a fire started in a Li-ion battery room at an STT Global Data Centres colocation facility in New Delhi, India. The fire resulted in extensive damage, disruption to some online services, and possibly loss of data. This Uptime Intelligence report reviews the key deployment considerations to ensure that risks associated with Li-ion battery energy storage in UPS systems are understood and mitigated appropriately.