Colorado Tesla crash, fire highlights unique dangers posed by electric vehicle fires
The Aurora Police Department is still investigating Monday night's crash that killed the driver and sent several others, including multiple children, to the hospital.
The Tesla went up in flames, meaning fire crews had to be cautious in their suppression efforts due to the unique dangers posed by electric vehicle fires and their large lithium-ion batteries.
Paul Shoemaker, an Aurora firefighter and paramedic, teaches crews nationwide about lithium-ion batteries and the challenges in fighting fires when those batteries cause them. While EV fires are becoming more frequent, they still account for a small portion of overall fire calls.
"There are more and more of these on the road, and we're starting to run into the issues that these things can have a little bit more frequently," said Shoemaker. "In the city of Aurora, there have only been two or three documented cases of electric vehicles going into thermal runaway, with this being one of the most significant."
When it comes to tackling electric vehicle fires, he says the dynamics are much different from traditional gas-powered vehicle fires.
"One of them would be the thermal runaway process, where the batteries go into almost a short-circuit mode, producing a very toxic gas. Once it ignites, it burns extremely hot and takes a long time to burn through those batteries," Shoemaker said.
Fires in traditional combustion engines -- whether in the engine compartment or the vehicle cabin -- are typically easier to extinguish. The fire behavior is intense, but it's usually easy to put out with minimal water and less radiant heat compared to an electric vehicle.
One of the unique challenges of fighting EV fires is the significant amount of water required. An electric vehicle fire might require between 3,500 to 5,000 gallons of water, while a combustible motor fire typically only takes about 500 gallons.
"The water runoff could impact storm drains, and in this scenario, we worked closely with the Aurora Water Department to ensure we contained any runoff," said Shoemaker. "We felt it was better to let this one burn, given the concerns about water runoff. There's no need to waste a $2,000 fire blanket on a car we could let burn."
EV fires also pose serious risks to firefighters due to the toxic gases released from burning lithium-ion batteries, according to Shoemaker.
"There are about 35 different gases that come off these vehicles, and they're incredibly toxic, not only to the environment but to firefighters working in close proximity," he explained.
Aurora Fire has been proactive in its training efforts. AFR has a new policy in place where they park further away and approach these vehicles fully prepared, using full protective gear and air supply.
They're also implementing a three-week program where all firefighters in the city will undergo a four-hour training session on how to extinguish electric vehicle fires and handle lithium-ion battery situations inside structures. They'll be training on everything from electric scooters to e-bikes inside buildings, ensuring firefighters are prepared for all types of lithium-ion battery incidents.
For those driving electric vehicles, Shoemaker recommends caution: "These are powerful cars that accelerate quickly, so just drive with due diligence."
