GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) – Electric car vehicles are presenting new problems for firefighting crews.
EV fires create what is called “thermal runaway”. “Thermal runaway” means the casings of the batteries break within the car and a fire starts.
The fire then gets extremely hot and can spread from battery to battery. Normal methods like water or foam don’t work as effectively to put these fires out.
Lieutenant Wanderscheid with the Colorado Springs Fire Department said the city used fire blankets to suppress an EV fire they deemed unsafe and have a specialized towing company move it to a safe location to finish burning out.
“It’s going to be a continuing conversation and the fire service internationally nationally. It is in all the trade magazines and all the discussion on how to fight these fires safely and effectively even the EV industry car makers are involved in this, trying to figure it out,” Wanderscheid said.
Another technique the industry is working on is a way to flood the battery with water and put the fire out before thermal runaway ever starts.
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