Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-09-28 Origin: Site
On the evening of September 26, 2025, a fire broke out at the National Information Resources Service in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea. Fire departments are conducting firefighting operations.
Local firefighters extinguish a fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon. (Yonhap) Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10584785
The fire at the National Information Resources Service in Hwaam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on the 26th was roughly brought under control after about 10 hours.
According to announcements from the Daejeon Fire Department and other authorities on the 27th, firefighters successfully extinguished the main blaze around 6:30 a.m. that morning. They were conducting smoke extraction operations to lower the indoor temperature.
Fire departments also entered the building to perform final checks for remaining embers.
The fire started around 8:15 p.m. the previous day in the computer room on the fifth floor of the main building of the National Information Resources Service.
It is presumed that the fire was caused by a lithium battery explosion during electrical work.
All employees were evacuated, but one person suffered first-degree burns to the face and arms.
The fire department has deployed 171 firefighters and 63 fire trucks to date.
Approximately 384 lithium batteries were stored in the computer room, making the flames difficult to extinguish, and firefighting efforts continued until dawn.
Concerned that large amounts of water could damage national resource data, carbon dioxide and other gas fire suppression systems were used on site, which slowed the firefighting speed.
The National Information Resources Service is the agency that manages and operates IT (Information and Communication) systems for the Korean government and local governments.
The fire caused websites like Mobile ID and Gukmin Sinmungo to be inaccessible, and various government department websites and the "Government 24" online public service platform were also down.
It is currently estimated that approximately 647 systems crashed as a result.
On September 26, 2025, a fire at the National Data Center in Daejeon, South Korea, triggered by a lithium battery explosion during electrical work, resulted in one severe injury and the collapse of 647 government systems. The 384 lithium batteries stored on-site made firefighting extremely difficult, lasting nearly 10 hours. This accident again exposes the thermal runaway risk of lithium batteries under conditions like high temperature, overcharging, or short circuits.
Although lithium batteries offer advantages in energy density and size, their safety remains a significant challenge for data center backup power. Especially in high-temperature, high-load environments, the lack of effective real-time monitoring and early warning can easily lead to fires.
Compared to lithium batteries, VRLA batteries have been widely used in critical scenarios like data centers, telecom base stations, and power systems for a long time due to their sealed structure, low leakage risk, and high stability. When combined with a professional Battery Monitoring System (BMS), a VRLA battery system can achieve:
Real-time monitoring of voltage, current, internal resistance, and temperature
Automatic balanced charging to prevent overcharge/discharge
Early warning of thermal runaway
State of Charge (SOC) and State of Health (SOH) assessment
Remote alarms and intelligent maintenance
The VRLA + BMS combination is not only more cost-effective but also proven in safety and reliability through years of practice, making it the preferred choice for most high-standard data centers.
As a leading global supplier of battery monitoring systems, DFUN offers the PBMS9000 system and PBAT61 series battery cell sensors, specifically designed for data centers, providing comprehensive protection for VRLA batteries from the individual cell to the system level.
Key Features of the PBMS9000 System:
Supports monitoring of up to 6 battery strings and 480 battery cells simultaneously
Built-in web server for remote visual operation
Real-time monitoring of voltage, current, internal resistance, temperature, insulation resistance, ripple current, etc.
Supports multiple protocols: Modbus-TCP, SNMP, IEC61850, MQTT
Expandable functions including thermal runaway warning, liquid leakage detection, ambient temperature & humidity monitoring
Complies with IEEE 1188-2005 standard; certifications include CE, FCC, UL
Characteristics of the PBAT61 Battery Sensor:
Suitable for 2V/6V/12V VRLA batteries
Auto-addressing and auto-balancing
Precise measurement of individual cell voltage, internal resistance, negative pole temperature
Low power consumption design, does not affect battery lifespan
Supports ring communication topology; single point failure does not affect system operation
DFUN's battery monitoring systems have been successfully deployed in numerous critical facilities worldwide, including Thailand's True IDC, Malaysia's Intel Data Center, Qatar's Google Data Center, Dubai's GDH Data Center, and Turkey's Turkcell Data Center. These help customers achieve intelligent, predictive maintenance of their battery systems, effectively avoiding downtime and fire risks caused by battery failures.
The fire in South Korea's data center reminds us once again: the safety management of backup power cannot be ignored. Choosing proven VRLA batteries paired with a professional BMS is key to ensuring the continuous and safe operation of data centers. DFUN is ready to use its mature and reliable PBMS9000 + PBAT61 solution to build a "digital firewall" for your backup power system.
