[dpedu]

> [Firefighters have] had 100 years to train and to understand how to deal with internal combustion engine fires,” the NFPA’s Andrew Klock told Vox. “With electric vehicles, they don’t have as much training and knowledge.”

> But MSB’s Per-Ola Malmqvist has developed webinars that explain how to safely put out battery fires. In a 2022 webinar, he described the tools and techniques that were used to put out a raging EV battery fire in 10 minutes using only 750 liters of water. In another webinar about EV fire suppression best practices, Malmqvist interviewed a firefighter from Vestfold Fire Service in Norway, where the extinguishing method Malmqvist recommends was tried for the first time in battling an electric-vehicle blaze.

Not surprising. However, I would have liked to have heard a better explanation of the problem about EV fires self-reigniting, which can happen hours or days later. They touched on it, but passed it off as lack of firefighter training.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/29/electric-vehicle-fires-are-r...

Simply dousing the fire with water as mentioned in the article is not sufficient.

[_ea1k]

Sure, but that seems like mostly a question of getting them to a place where that can safely happen. Once it is isolated, let it burn out if it reignites.

Putting it out the first time so that it can be safely moved is important.

[verisimi]

> Once it is isolated, let it burn out if it reignites.

Mere words do not quite convey the issue.

How does one "isolate" a car? Does one take it somewhere? Where? Are fire engines able to undertake this task? It's there a concern en route to the somewhere?

[Tagbert]

The same tow trucks that would tow away vehicles after a crash would tow an EV to an impoundment yard where it could be monitored.

[lunias]

You tow it away while it's on fire? I'm wondering if that's even possible. You can spray the vehicle w/ foam and then cover it and then maybe you could move it w/o reignition? Seems kinda risky / might require enclosed tow trucks w/ on board fire suppression? Then there's the question of where you put them once you move them. It's my understanding that they basically need to be allowed to burn (off gassing toxic chemicals) or submerged in liquid for extended periods.

There have been some pretty horrendous chain reactions of EV fires in China. I'm not sure storing a bunch of already defective ones in various states of burn together is safe at scale.

[_ea1k]

Gotta put them out first. But they really don't have to be that far away from other vehicles.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/20/23691743/ford-f-150-light...

The cars next to it were ignited, but nothing on the next aisle. Probably 10 feet is enough?

[audunw]

Yeah that’s one of the aspects you need new training and equipment for. Nobody is downplaying that.

But it’s pretty easy to solve now. There’s already a kind of kiddie-pool like equipment that can easily be put up around the car to keep the bottom flooded with water for a few hours.