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Vehicle Fire
Firefighting
WARNING: When a fire is involved,
consider the entire vehicle to be
energized. Always wear full personal
protective equipment (PPE), including
a self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA).
WARNING: Extinguishing any vehicle
fire is best accomplished by firefighting
professionals. Contact your local
authorities or fire department for help.
In the case of vehicle battery fire, exposure to
high heat, or presence of gases, USE LARGE
AMOUNTS OF WATER to cool it.
It can take copious amounts of water applied
directly to the battery to extinguish and cool
down a battery fire. Establish or request an
additional water supply from nearby sources.
In the absence of a water supply, use dry
chemicals, such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), foam,
or any other typical fire-extinguishing agent, to
fight the fire until a water supply is available.
Extinguishing smaller fires that do not involve
a high-voltage battery follows the standard
firefighting procedures.
A burning or a heated battery releases toxic
vapors. Responders should always protect
themselves with full PPE (including a SCBA)
and take appropriate measures to protect
civilians from the incident. Use fog streams
or positive-pressure ventilation fans (PPV) to
direct smoke and vapors away from other
responders and civilians.
After knock down
Make sure any fires are knocked down before
entering a hot zone. Heat combined with
flames can compromise the airbag inflators,
stored gas inflation cylinders, gas struts, and
other components, resulting in an unexpected
explosion.
During vehicle inspections, always use
insulated tools and do not make contact with
any high-voltage components.
Use a thermal imaging camera to measure
the temperature of the high-voltage battery
and monitor heating or cooling trends.
Before releasing the vehicle to second
responders (such as law enforcement or vehicle
transporters) or otherwise leaving the incident,
completely cool the battery with no fire, smoke,
or heating present for at least one hour. Always
notify second responders of the risk of battery
re-ignition.
Roadside Assistance & Emergency Information 202
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