When an electric car catches fire, instead of traditional methods like using water or fire extinguishers, using a fire blanket is an effective way to control the flames.
The nature of electric vehicle batteries contains complex chemicals, making them difficult to extinguish with conventional methods like water or fire extinguishers. Not to mention, they have the ability to smolder even after the flames have been controlled. This has posed new challenges for firefighting units around the world. One new method of extinguishing electric vehicle fires has been demonstrated to be effective by the South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) team in Colorado, which is using a “fire blanket.”
In a video shared on social media, the South Metro Fire Rescue team revealed that they received a call on January 10th reporting that a red Jaguar I-Pace caught fire while charging in a garage.
Luckily, everyone inside the house was able to escape, and the firefighting team started to move the vehicles out of the garage to have better access and prevent the fire from spreading.
After extinguishing the flames, the firefighters discovered that the battery of the Jaguar was still smoldering. This is a challenging task for the fire department, as the fire originating from lithium-ion batteries is difficult to completely extinguish due to the chemical components in the battery that can self-generate combustion. At this point, the firefighters decided to use a fire blanket. The blanket weighs up to 28 kg and has the task of preventing oxygen from reaching the vehicle’s battery.
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The blanket proved to be quite effective in controlling the fire completely. However, the firefighters still took precautions by covering the vehicle with the blanket and transporting it to a scrapyard.
According to SMFR, fire blankets are not cheap, costing between $3,000 and $5,000, but they are more effective than simply spraying water on the vehicle. Additionally, using water to extinguish electric vehicle fires also has significant environmental impacts.
Thái Sơn (Tuoitrethudo)
Reference: Carscoops
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When an electric vehicle catches fire, using traditional methods like water or fire extinguishers is not as effective as using a fire blanket. A fire blanket is an efficient way to control the flames.
