HELENA, Ala. (WBMA) — New challenges for local firefighters when it comes to electric vehicles. In December Pine Level, Alabama firefighters used 36,000 gallons of water to put out an EV fire on the interstate.
But a much easier, more effective way to smother the flames exists. Fire blankets are seen as a good alternative by several fire departments.
The Helena Fire Department is one of the first in the area to purchase two fire blankets. They rolled one out to show us what it looks like and how it works.
It looks similar to a big tarp you would see rolled out over a baseball field in rainy weather. The two to four-man crew starts at the back of the vehicle and moves it over covering the vehicle to smother the fire which can take hours.
The cost is about $1,500 for the single-use blanket. Helena hasn’t had to use one yet, but the chief says as the popularity of electric vehicles grows these blankets will become standard on fire trucks.
“They’re pretty much becoming a necessity,” explained Chief Chris Miller.
We should note EV fires are not common although they do make news headlines because they are so new. Gas-powered vehicle fires are more prevalent. Read some of the research here.
A demo video from manufacturer Bridgehill shows how hot and intense an EV fire can be.
“Once a car is in thermal runaway there’s nothing to save it,” explained Helena Chief Chris Miller.
It can take as much as six hours waiting for the car to cool covered in a fire blanket. The temperature is monitored with a thermal imaging camera.
Water is just not a good option in EV fires, according to experts.
“It can take up to 40,000 gallons to put them out,” explained Chief Miller. He said that brings concerns about straining the local water system and dangerous pollution runoff plus the manpower it takes.
One of the biggest concerns with an EV fire is if it happens in a home garage or inside a parking deck where they can spread. Anything from a defect or collision can cause EV fires.
There have been cases where EV fires have re-ignited once they’re on a tow truck. Some tow yards in Birmingham have set up special areas to separate the EVs from other vehicles.
