Posted on 12/27/2023 6:55:36 AM PST by Red Badger
VIDEO AT LINK...............
AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - An electric vehicle crashed and caught fire Monday night in Autauga County.
According to the Pine Level Fire Department, units were called to a traffic accident with a vehicle fire around 11:15 p.m.
At the scene, firefighters found a Tesla Model Y in flames. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency was already on the scene and had closed the interstate.
The driver was uninjured and had escaped the vehicle before the fire department arrived, officials say.
ALEA identified the driver as 33-year-old Michael Sherrill, a Georgia resident. Sherrill was arrested and taken to the Autauga County jail. He is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and is being held on $5,000 bail.
Firefighters say due to the thermal runaway of the Tesla’s battery, the fire required over 36,000 gallons of water before it was brought under control in a little over an hour.
Pine Level Fire Chief Austin Worcester said a typical car fire can take between 300 to 1,000 gallons to put out, depending on how advanced the vehicle is. He said the extra water needed in this case was “typical of an electric vehicle fire.”
There is technology that can help reduce the amount of water needed to put out an electric car fire, but the chief said it is too expensive for the volunteer fire department.
“The device that Montgomery fire department has is about $35,000. That’s over a third of my budget each year. And that’s just undoable for us right now,” he said.
Worcester discussed the lithium batteries such vehicles use, saying they can be damaged and emit toxic gases that can produce acid in the lungs.
“They can re-ignite hours, even days later. And the lithium produces toxic gases,” he said.
Pine Level Fire Department 1d · At 11:14 pm, your Pine Level Firefighters were dispatched to a traffic accident with a reported vehicle fire. When units first responded, Autauga Co E-911 advised our units that an electric vehicle was involved. Assistance was immediately requested from Marbury, Booth, Independence, White City, Old Kingston, and Verbena Fire Departments, along with Haynes Ambulance, ALEA, Autauga Co EMA, ALDOT, and Autauga Co Sheriff’s Office. (see the explanation why below). When the first engine arrived, they found a Tesla Model Y automobile fully involved in fire. ALEA had closed the interstate. It was determined the driver of the vehicle was uninjured and had escaped the vehicle before the fire department arrived. 2 hose lines were deployed and due to the thermal runaway of the vehicle’s batteries, this fire required over 36,000 gallons of water before the fire was brought under control in a little over an hour. A total of 3-Engines, 2-Rescues, 1-Ambulance, 4-Water Tankers, 1-Squad, 1-Brush Truck, and 3-Command Vehicles ultimately responded to this fire. This was a first for Autauga County. Electric vehicle fires are unusual and present unique challenges and dangers to firefighters. These vehicles can reignite hours or days after they are first extinguished. They burn at temperatures exceeding 2500 degrees C. The smoke from these burning electric cars produces Hydrogen Flouride and Hydrogen Chloride gases - both of which are toxic to breath and requires firefighters to wear breathing apparatus. We’re grateful to all of the agencies (all of whom are staffed by professional volunteers) who left their families late on Christmas Day to support and protect their communities! The driver of the vehicle was taken into police custody by ALEA. Please direct media inquiries to ALEA.
Multiple fire departments and law enforcement agencies, including the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, also responded to the scene.
Officials say a fire of this kind was a first for Autauga County, but Worcester said he worries that the increased use of electric vehicles could lead to more fires like this one.
In California they’ll just let them burn until they get that recycled sewer water project going.
Alcohol and lithium seem to be a bad combination.
There will still be problems with EV fires that we are not aware of.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. 1500 lb battery and all that water carrying those pollutants into the groundwater. All the while spewing clouds of toxic chemicals into the air
Have any of the Greenies thought to ask Mother Earth how she feels about that?
I’d think twice about the mother-in-law unit above the garage.
It's not a flaw, it's a feature, LOL
Jettison overboard.
I though the way to put out an EV fire was to smother it with dirt?
Dirt works on LiPo batteries we use at the RC airplane field. Water does not work.
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