Traditional firefighting methods
can NOT extinguish EV fires
Traditional firefighting methods struggle to effectively extinguish electric vehicle (EV) fires due to the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion battery thermal runaway (which is the process of a lithium-ion battery uncontrollably spiking up in temperature). Unlike conventional gasoline fires, EV fires can reignite multiple times and require massive amounts of water—often exceeding 10,000 liters—to cool the battery pack.
Firefighting foams and Class D extinguishers, which work well for other types of fires, fail to fully extinguish EV fires because lithium-ion cells burn without needing external oxygen. Some fire departments opt to let the battery burn out rather than attempting to suppress them.
Current methods for EV fires
EV fires present unique challenges due to the lithium-ion batteries and their potential to start a thermal runaway. Modern manual solutions to EV fires include specialized fire blankets, water-based cooling systems, and tools that enable firefighters to cool the battery pack directly. Fire suppression systems are also being developed to prevent or reduce the spread of EV fires.
Firefighting is a battle against the clock, as flames can spread rapidly and can grow out of control before firefighters reach the scene.
