Andrew Sullivan of St. Cloud Fire Rescue for WESH 2 News The remains of a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle, or EV, that suddenly caught fire in a tow yard on Wednesday. Six other cars were burned before firefighters were able to pull them out and try to extinguish the fire. But it is an electric car, and it poses a big problem. “With these chemical fires like lithium-ion batteries, it’s very difficult to put out sometimes,” Sullivan said. “The heat just comes back. It can ignite again, sometimes explosively.” Firefighters often struggle to get enough water. For burning electric vehicle batteries, because they are underneath, they are often encased in metal and this makes it difficult to get water down and into the battery compartment. Throughout the state of Florida, with more than 400 fire and rescue departments, there are no uniform procedures for fighting vehicle fires. This reality was magnified when 20 flooded electric vehicles began burning during Hurricane Ian in September 2022. “The risk is known, it’s real,” said Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis. He was speaking in Orlando this week and announced the start of rulemaking hearings with makers of lithium-ion batteries for cars, phones, golf carts, some children’s toys, automakers and firefighters, to establish statewide best practices for storing lithium-ion batteries. “So we have a collaborative effort to advance policies in order to keep our first responders and our citizens safe,” he said. Because firefighters’ health is threatened by toxins released from burning lithium-ion batteries, Patronis pointed to a new Florida law {HB 989} that ensures firefighters receive money and benefits when they develop certain cancers. “When diagnosed, firefighters should not lose their jobs just because they are diagnosed with cancer,” said Wayne “Bernie” Bernoska, president of the Professional Firefighters of Florida, which represents 28,000 firefighters and paramedics across the state. While concerns about battery fires are growing, so is the market, with 26 million electric vehicles expected to be on the roads by 2030. And just last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began the process of setting new rules for manufacturers. Changes to battery compartments to prevent fires, and requiring automakers to provide standardized emergency response information to first responders fighting fires.
Andrew Sullivan of St. Cloud Fire Rescue for WESH 2 News The remains of a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle, or EV, that suddenly caught fire in a tow yard on Wednesday.
Six other cars were burned before firefighters were able to pull them out and try to extinguish the fire. But it’s an electric car, and it’s a big problem.
“With these chemical fires like in lithium-ion batteries, they are very difficult to put out sometimes,” Sullivan said. “The heat just comes back. They can ignite again, sometimes explosively.”
Firefighters often struggle to get enough water for burning electric vehicle batteries because they are underneath, often encased in metal. This makes it difficult to get water down and into the battery compartment.
Throughout the state of Florida, with more than 400 fire and rescue departments, there are no uniform procedures for fighting electric vehicle fires.
This reality was amplified when 20 electric vehicles submerged in water during Hurricane Ian in September 2022 began to catch fire.
“The risk is known,” said Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis. It’s real. Now it’s time to act.”
He was speaking in Orlando this week and announced the start of rulemaking hearings with makers of lithium-ion batteries for cars, phones, golf carts, some children’s toys, automakers and firefighters, to establish statewide best practices for storing lithium-ion batteries. and fire response.
“So we have a collaborative effort to advance policies in order to keep first responders and our citizens safe,” he said.
Because firefighters’ health is threatened by toxins released from burning lithium-ion batteries, Patronis pointed to a new Florida law {HB 989} that ensures firefighters get money and benefits when they develop certain cancers.
“Their time off for treatment and recovery is a benefit provided upon diagnosis,” he said.
Wayne “Bernie” Bernoska, president of the Florida Professional Firefighters who represent 28,000 firefighters and paramedics across the state. “Firefighters should not lose their jobs just because they are diagnosed with cancer.”
While concerns about battery fires are growing, so is the market, with 26 million electric cars expected to be on the road by 2030.
Just last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began the process of setting new rules for manufacturers.
It will require changes to battery compartments to prevent fires, and require automakers to provide standardized emergency response information to first responders fighting fires.
