Desperate Firefighters Dump 50,000 Gallons of Water on EV, Forced to Call in Aircraft
In August, a Tesla Semi caught fire in Placer County, California, after the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash and subsequently ignite. Emergency responders used approximately 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames, which originated from the truck’s engine and involved its high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. The crash led to major traffic disruptions on I-80, which was closed for around 15 hours to ensure safety and prevent the fire from spreading to the surrounding area. Despite initial concerns, no reignition of the battery system was detected after 24 hours of monitoring. The incident raised alarms about the challenges of responding to electric vehicle fires, particularly in terms of water supply and the potential hazards to firefighters, as lithium-ion batteries can pose risks of thermal runaway and electric shock. The National Transportation Safety Board highlighted the need for specific guidelines for emergency responders dealing with such fires.
When a Tesla Semi caught fire in August, it took about 50,000 gallons of water to battle the flames, according to a new report.
The Placer County, California, accident took place at about 3 a.m. on Aug. 19 when the driver of the truck lost control, leading to the truck going off the highway, hitting a steel post and a tree, before rolling down an embankment, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
As a result of the crash, a fire broke out in the truck’s engine.
“Traffic on I-80 was diverted as emergency responders worked to control the fire, using about 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames and cool the vehicle’s batteries,” the NTSB wrote.
“Additionally, CAL FIRE used an aircraft to apply fire retardant to the immediate area as a precautionary measure,” it wrote.
The report said that parts of I-80 were closed for 15 hours to “ensure the batteries were at a safe temperature for vehicle recovery operations and to prevent the spread of the fire to surrounding forested areas.”
“The truck tractor was subsequently transported to an open-air facility and monitored for 24 hours. No reignition of the truck-tractor’s battery system was observed during this period,” the NTSB reported.
According to the Associated Press, firefighters had said that the battery reached a temperature of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit during the post-crash fire.
Cal Fire Division Chief Ryan Woessner said lithium-ion fires are a waiting game that ends when the batteries no longer have any charge and the fire cools to 100 degrees, according to KCRA-TV.
“When they break down, they start feeding off each other, and they catch fire. They burn themselves out using the battery itself as fuel,” he said.
In 2020, the NTSB issued a warning about the potential dangers of EVs to first responders.
“Fires in electric vehicles powered by high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose the risk of electric shock to emergency responders from exposure to the high-voltage components of a damaged lithium-ion battery,” the NTSB wrote on its website.
One by one the battery packs in an electric vehicle catch fire and explode. The all new #Tesla Firework! pic.twitter.com/Iegnaq8rqm
— ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 👀VIDEO (@VFTPeople) December 15, 2022
“A further risk is that damaged cells in the battery can experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure (thermal runaway), which can lead to hazards such as battery reignition/fire. The risks of electric shock and battery reignition/fire arise from the ‘stranded’ energy that remains in a damaged battery,” the NTSB wrote.
The AP noted that the NTSB has said EV manufacturers should provide vehicle-specific guides to firefighters on how to fight lithium-ion battery fires.
Firefighters have d their concerns about EV fires.
“In rural areas, especially on interstates where there are no hydrants, this is going to create a logistical issue for emergency response agencies as they’re going to have to shuttle the water up that they need,” the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Tom Miller said, according to NewsNation.
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