With this being my first print article after having returned from FDIC International 2021, I thought I’d share some things that I learned from my students while teaching my workshop on new vehicle rescue and fire challenges.
Firefighters from around the country who attended my class broadened my perspective, and it is certainly worth sharing. Buckle your seat belts and bear with me for a moment, as this column will be very relevant to the topic or theme of “To the Rescue.”
Just by way of a quick background, my program focuses on mitigating both rescue and fire challenges presented by new vehicle construction and electric/hybrid technology. In addition to the hot topic of lithium-ion (LI) car battery and electric vehicle fires, we also discuss the exponential increase in the use of Class D (combustible metals) material found in these new vehicles that makes the intensity of these fires something to behold.
Simply stated, LI batteries in thermal runaway are absolute monsters to extinguish. The “science” talks about these fires requiring a “minimum of 3,000 gallons of water to get an initial knockdown.” After I shared this “science” with the class, hands shot up from firefighters who were attending FDIC from Texas, Alaska, and California, who reported firsthand experience of these fires having required 15,000 to 25,000 gallons of water for initial knockdown. Also know that the runoff water will be highly contaminated with lots of bad things that include hydrochloric acid. What does one do with 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of contaminated runoff water?
It is critically important to understand a few factors and hazards involving these types of fires that are often unbeknownst to the firefighter or rescuer:
- Burning LI batteries in thermal runaway produce wickedly toxic smoke that can and will permeate turnout gear during the preignition, active fire, and overhaul stages.
- LI batteries are a Class D fire and react violently with the application of water. Remember, too, that today’s vehicles also contain an average of 350 pounds of other combustible metals that often explode when they come in contact with water.
- Burning LI vehicle batteries in thermal runaway will spew molten aluminum and copper and off-gas hydrogen, which often results in secondary flash fires.
So, what in the world, you ask, does this information have to do with “To the Rescue”? Great question.
How many times do we respond to vehicle wrecks with entrapment and find one or more of the vehicles smoking? (See the first bullet point above.)
We sometimes get tunnel vision when talking about things like LI battery fires. We sometimes forget about all of the things that we use in our everyday life that are made of combustible metals. We also often take for granted the number of those same everyday items found in our homes and businesses.
Something as seemingly innocuous as a local bicycle shop now sells E-bikes (LI battery-powered electric bicycles). Next to the row of E-bikes are shelves of nice bike parts that are made of or contain titanium, magnesium, and zirconium. Tones drop in the middle of the night for a fire in said bike shop, with victims reportedly trapped.
Consider a townhome complex anywhere in America with attached garages. Inside the garage is the electric or hybrid vehicle that is plugged into the wall. Next to that is the electric bicycle. And on the other side of the garage is the electric lawnmower with a magnesium mower deck. Tones drop for a fire in this complex. Multiple units are involved, with victims reportedly trapped.
I hope you get where I’m going with this. LI batteries are everywhere now. Combustible metals (although often ignored) have been around for ages. Mix the two of these combustibles burning at the same time, and it’s a problem. The technology is not just exclusively found in vehicles anymore. Keeping in mind the bullet point items I listed above, remember that a simple room-and-contents fire containing something powered by an LI battery in thermal runaway can be or could become much more than a simple room-and-contents fire.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we also need to think about another facet to this equation. Although we get focused on the mainstream electric vehicle fires that we see online and in the media, there is a bigger (much bigger) challenge that is only going to become bigger. From cell phones to laptops, E-bikes, and electric passenger vehicles, we are now realizing that Amazon delivery, UPS, municipal bus lines, garbage trucks, and big rigs (including fire apparatus) are all going electric. This obviously means bigger batteries and bigger fire potential. Imagine if you will a burning garbage truck that will now add a giant LI battery to the mix.
One of the interesting things that the students in my program brought up was the issue of these types of fires and water supply. A firefighter from Tulsa (OK) explained that they have great hydrant water supply all over the city; however, they have no hydrants on the interstate highway. He also said that because of the great municipal water supply, they did not employ tender trucks, and what a huge problem that is. Does this sound familiar to your response area?
This is not a challenge that is going away. If I haven’t already given you enough to think about, I offer that some of the newest battery technology mixes LI batteries with hydrogen technology. What could possibly go wrong there? All sarcasm aside, we need to take a good look at our response area and our apparatus and equipment as we preplan for these types of calls.
My brother firefighter from Texas was in my FDIC class because he said that they were not prepared for these types of fires. Unfortunately, I had to share with him that 95 percent plus of all fire departments in the nation are not prepared to deal with these types of fires, nor do they know the life-threatening hazards presented by these fires. We need to look at everything from water supply to our apparatus, extinguishment agents and systems, equipment, and especially our on scene decon practices and products.
Wear all your gear. Use self-contained breathing apparatus on vehicle fires from the first sign of smoke until the overhaul is finished. (Some departments are now approaching these vehicle rescues and fires like hazmat scenes.) Rekindle training on combustible metal fires. Do research on new firefighting agents such as encapsulator agents.
Most importantly for you and your families, decon, decon, decon.
Remember, some of these toxins permeate our turnout gear, and some of the chemicals contained therein are known as “forever” chemicals.
CARL J. HADDON is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board and the director of Five Star Fire Training LLC, which is sponsored, in part, by Volvo North America. He served as assistant chief and fire commissioner for the North Fork (ID) Fire Department and is a career veteran of more than 25 years in the fire and EMS services in southern California. He is a certified Level 2 fire instructor and an ISFSI member and teaches Five Star Auto Extrication and NFPA 610 classes across the country.
