In the aftermath of the Southern California Fires, 645 electric vehicle’s (EV) lithium-ion batteries were removed as hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during Phase 1 of the cleanup, Julia Giarmoleo, EPA press officer, wrote in a email to the Graphic on March 11.
The lithium-ion battery poses a unique danger because of its flammability and ability to reignite. However, there are new technologies to effectively combat EV fires and preventative measures vehicle operators can take to protect themselves and the community.
“We know that the lithium ion battery curve is just going up and up and up,” firefighter Chris Turner said.
Lithium-Ion Battery Introduction
Bruce Dunn is a UCLA Material Science and Engineering professor who has spent 20 years studying electric chemical materials including lithium-ion batteries to better understand their complexities.
The lithium-ion battery consists of three properties including an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte that exists between the two electrodes, Dunn said. The electrolyte consists of an organic liquid that is highly flammable.
“That’s the source of the flammability problem,” Dunn said.
A First Responder’s Take on Lithium-Ion Batteries
Jonathan Torres is a public information officer and engineer for the L.A. County Fire Department who was placed on the frontlines of the Hughes and Eaton Fires.
“I got bumped out to the Eaton maybe 30 to 40 minutes after it started,” Torres said. “So I was first on scene as the PIO with the first oncoming chiefs and units that were there Jan. 7.”
Torres said that EV fires aren’t as frequent as other car fires, but they are extremely unpredictable. They pose a unique threat because of their stored energy battery pack that has a high likelihood of reignition.
This serves as a major concern for tow companies transporting the EVs to a tow yard because of the chance of the vehicle reigniting while in transport.
“They’re not the cars that Mom and Dad drove in the 80s and 90s,” Torres said. “These are sophisticated vehicles with these energy storage systems that didn’t exist or weren’t as mainstream as they are now.”
Torres said “deflagration” happens when the lithium-ion battery cells release a torch-like flame that can reach as high as 2 to 4 feet.
“That poses a very unique hazard for us, nothing like what we would see on an internal combustion engine,” Torres said.
Torres said that EVs are much more prevalent now than ever and that weighs heavily on his conscience. There is a greater probability now that the car accidents their department cleans up will involve an EV.
In fact, in L.A. there are over 431,000 electric vehicle operators as of 2024, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Ways to Extinguish EV Fires
When the electrolyte is exposed to heat and air it is subject to catching on fire, Dunn said. The way to stop lithium-ion fires is to first cut off the air supply.
When working to extinguish a lithium-ion fire, Dunn said it’s difficult to lower the temperature but lower temperatures can help. Dunn said water is not the best practice for extinguishing a lithium-ion fire because the water reacts with the element.
One method the department uses at times to combat this risk is to allow the EVs to burn because that will eliminate the stranded energy, Torres said.
“I’ve seen a training where they submerged an EV and the battery pack and it is combusting under the water,” Torres said. “So that’s the type of stranded energy that we’re talking about, the ability to burn underwater.”
Dunn said an effective way to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire is to smother it.
“If it’s a small laptop, put a blanket over it, that will work,” Dunn said.
That is essentially what firefighter Turner is doing on a larger scale by taking care of EV fires using a fire suppression blanket.
Cutting Edge Technology in The Form of A Blanket
Turner became a Wisconsin firefighter 31 years ago and continues to run a fire testing facility at the local technical college where various fire prevention tools are tested. When Brimstone Fire Protection approached Turner, he began testing their products on Teslas.
The American-made blanket consists of a woven fiberglass-based material with a silicone base fire protective coating on both sides so either side can be used in a fire, Turner said. The blanket must have a high enough quality so the fire isn’t able to burn through.
When the blanket is deployed over a vehicle on fire, it works to contain any flames or sparks released, Turner said.
As of now, Brimstone is selling these fire suppression blankets to fire departments across the nation, army bases, industrial settings and car manufacturers, Turner said.
On Brimstone’s website, 75 different fire departments are listed; the number is not limited to this list as other departments purchase through distributors. Among this list are also government and aerospace agencies. It’s even NASA-tested and approved for space flight, according to the website.
The L.A. County Fire Department isn’t currently using fire suppression blankets and Torres said he hasn’t heard of them before, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be used in the future at some point.
Initially, Brimstone was a multi-use tool until the company received feedback from Turner and his fire department.
“None of us really wanted to have to hassle with decontaminating it and repackaging it after it had been used on an actual EV fire,” Turner said. “Plus, from my standpoint as a firefighter I don’t really want to be the person who goes ‘well I think it’s good for one more fire.’”
When it comes to disposing of a burned-up lithium-ion battery, there currently isn’t any legislation preventing disposing them in the trash, Turner said. Therefore, Brimstone is treating its blanket the same by advertising that it doesn’t require special disposal.
A drawback of the blanket is its weight, Turner said. The XL blanket that covers any large sized EV weighs nearly 100 pounds and when packaged up, the blanket is 25 by 33 feet.
This can pose a difficulty for firefighters who are already carrying multiple tools in their fire trucks, Turner said.
The blanket has a few key factors for easy accessibility, one being a strap that wraps around the vehicle to keep the blanket in place during high winds and while in transportation.
“We’re trying to get ahead of it and not just have one or two products but meet that entire space,” Turner said.
Lithium-Ion Battery Preventative Fire Measures
A few preventative measures EV owners can take include taking care of the battery pack by listening to manufacturer’s instructions and not making any modifications to the vehicle once it leaves the dealership, Torres said.
EV owners should also be careful not to subject their vehicles to extreme temperatures whether that be hot or cold. Torres also warned against using incorrect voltage, wattage-approved extension cords, splicing and overcharging.
“I know overcharging is a thing, leaving a lithium-ion powered phone, computer, car overcharging,” Torres said. “Continuing after a full charge does damage and can compromise your battery pack.”
EV owners should never allow the battery to fully charge and take care to not allow the battery to be depleted of charge either, Torres said.
Turner’s prescribed preventative measures include one for coastal areas. Avoid exposing lithium-ion batteries to saltwater intrusion because this is a dangerous mixture, Turner said. EV fires can ignite from saltwater intrusion.
Proper charging is another preventative measure that Turner recommends.
“What some of the manufacturers were hearing or learning was that people found out that if they put a wet rag and draped it over the charging plug it will fool the plug into thinking the batteries are cooler and it will charge it more quickly,” Turner said.
Actions like this can cause a fire and EV drivers should listen to their manufacturers’ charging recommendations, Turner said.
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Contact Rachel Flynn via email: rachel.flynn@pepperdine.edu
