- Extinguishing an EV fire often needs more water than a traditional combustion vehicle fire.
- All fire crew vehicles in the state carry a specialized EV blanket for fires like this.
- Firefighters must follow specific protocols to prevent EV fires from reigniting once out.
Extinguishing a fire in an electric vehicle is not your average firefighting job. It’s much trickier than putting out a blaze in a traditional combustion engine car, often requiring huge amounts of water—or, in some cases, submerging the whole car in a massive water tank.
Earlier this week, fire crews in Granite Falls, Washington, faced this exact challenge, but with a twist: they used a specially designed fire blanket to tackle the EV fire.
According to Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, an EV caught fire while driving on SR-92 early Monday morning. All vehicles used by local fire crews carry a special EV blanket for a situation like this. To quell the flames, the blanket is placed over the car while the battery pack is doused in water.
Read: Tesla Under Siege As Multiple EVs Set On Fire And Vandalized Across The US In One Day
EV fires generate tremendous amounts of heat and, unlike combustion-powered cars, can burn without oxygen. There have also been plenty of cases of EVs reigniting days or even weeks after the initial thermal event. To reduce the risk, local fire crews followed the flatbed transporting the EV to a local impound lot for storage.
The exact make and model of the EV involved in this incident has not been revealed. However, Granite Falls Fire made it clear on their Facebook page that the fire was not caused by an impact.
Are EV Fires Really That Common?
While EV fires often make headlines, the numbers tell a different story. According to data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, there are about 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs sold in the U.S. That sounds concerning until you compare it to the 1,530 fires per 100,000 for gas-powered cars. So, despite the attention they grab, EV fires are still much rarer than those in traditional vehicles.