Fire Departments Aren’t Ready to Combat EV Fires
EV fires are burning longer, hotter, and harder to fight — yet many fire departments still aren’t prepared.
Lacking Proper Equipment, Training, and Automaker Guidance
Battery fires aren’t just your standard roadside blaze. They’re hotter, harder to stop, and can reignite hours—or even days—after firefighters think the job is done. An electric vehicle fire can reach up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit—that’s more than twice the heat of lava and hot enough to melt titanium.
Before EVs, firefighters had decades of experience perfecting techniques to handle gas-powered infernos. They knew the gear, the chemistry, and the timing needed to save lives. But EVs? They’re rewriting the rulebook—and so far, fire departments haven’t been given the tools or training they need.
The EV Fire Problem
According to Jalopnik, U.S. lawmakers have raised alarms, calling for more research into the dangers of EV fires and how to prepare emergency crews for them. The National Transportation Safety Board warned as far back as 2020 that automakers weren’t providing enough guidance for emergency personnel.
Fast-forward to today: EV sales have skyrocketed, with millions now on American roads. Yet the data, training, and resources available to firefighters haven’t kept pace. That means fire crews are often fighting these ultra-hot, unpredictable blazes without the right playbook.
What Firefighters Are Asking For
- Better guidance from automakers on how to safely disable and fight EV fires.
- Legislation that forces carmakers to take fire safety more seriously.
- Funding for departments to buy the specialized equipment needed for EV-specific fires.
The concern is simple: if nothing changes, the risk of EV fires won’t just be a headline—it could become a regular reality in neighborhoods across the country.
This should have been part of the conversation before the EV boom. But with adoption accelerating, fire departments are left playing catch-up.
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