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Best Way to Extinguish a Flaming Electric Vehicle? Let It Burn
Wall Street Journal ^ | Nov. 8, 2023 5:30 am ET | John Keilman

Posted on 11/14/2023 5:08:19 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

Firefighters called to extinguish an electric-vehicle fire are discovering the surest approach is to stand back and watch it burn.

Electric cars combust differently than their gas-powered counterparts. Firefighters and researchers said EV fires last longer, are harder to put out and have a tendency to reignite.

First responders in Franklin, Tenn., faced their first burning EV in September, a Nissan Leaf that ignited while charging outside the car maker’s North America headquarters. They spent hours pouring 45,000 gallons of water on the car, compared with the 500 to 1,000 gallons that fires involving gasoline-powered vehicles usually need, Fire Marshal Andy King said.

“I think if we were faced with a similar scenario next time, we might need to let it burn,” he said.

Nissan said it is investigating the cause of the fire.

It isn’t clear how frequently EV fires take place, but as the cars become a larger part of the American fleet, some fire departments see them as a growing nuisance. Firefighters in Florida’s North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District responded to six last year after a storm surge brought by Hurricane Ian caused saltwater to get into EV battery compartments, which can cause short-circuits.

There are more than 170,000 vehicle fires in the U.S. each year, but the National Fire Protection Association, which uses federal data to track the fires, doesn’t break them out by power source. Tesla estimates its cars catch fire at a rate much lower than U.S. vehicles overall, and some independent studies have reached similar conclusions about EVs in general.

First responders are still trying to figure out how to deal with EV fires. “When we look at how much money is going into battery plants, into the EV transition, there hasn’t been that carve-out...

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: tesla
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To: Babba Gi

Make sure it’s in a detached garage for extra protection. ;)


21 posted on 11/14/2023 5:57:23 AM PST by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: Glennb51

It would work for smothering the fire but the fire itself produces its own fuel and oxidizer so it is self sustaining no MATTER WHAT. An EV drove into a lake the other day and there it sat submerged on the boat ramp burning as you could see the flames on top of the water. An entire lake of water cannot extinguish an EV fire.


22 posted on 11/14/2023 5:58:49 AM PST by Delta 21 (If anyone is treasonous, it is those who call me such.)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

I don’t know about hydrogen cyanide, but I do know they generate oxygen from the burning of the battery material. Hard to cut oxygen off when the car brought its own supply.

CC


23 posted on 11/14/2023 5:59:21 AM PST by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: Delta 21

A fitting end, to be sure.

EVs are a scam.

Thank you for the info.


24 posted on 11/14/2023 6:03:01 AM PST by Glennb51
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

And thanks to cableless door locks, if it lights up while you’re inside, your dead.

When a regular car lights up, it doesn’t necessarily kill the electric right away.


25 posted on 11/14/2023 6:14:58 AM PST by fruser1
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Shouldn’t EVs be prohibited from parking structures?


26 posted on 11/14/2023 6:18:31 AM PST by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Gasoline does not spontaneously combust on contact with air.

#2 Diesel does not spontaneously combust on contact with air.

Ethanol does not spontaneously combust on contact with air.

Methane does not spontaneously combust on contact with air.

Propane does not spontaneously combust on contact with air.

Lithium does not spontaneously c ...

Oh ... wait ... it does ...


27 posted on 11/14/2023 6:19:49 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Glennb51

Aqueous Film-forming Foam is designed to suppress and extinguish petroleum fuel fires.


28 posted on 11/14/2023 6:22:02 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: NorthMountain

High school chem back in ‘86 was sufficient to see why big lithium batteries are probably not a great idea.

But you can do really fun things with them.

If any group wants to make major American cities look like Paris, we have things in place ready to go!!!!


29 posted on 11/14/2023 6:30:44 AM PST by Hieronymus
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To: Hieronymus
make major American cities look like Paris

Ahhh ... "Gay Pahreee" ... The city of lights.

I'm pretty sure "unextinguishable car fires" was not what the Frogs had in mind when they named their city Lutèce.

30 posted on 11/14/2023 6:35:07 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Babba Gi
> How do you sleep with this in your garage?

By keeping a lithium battery powered smartphone on the nightstand to alert you when your EV catches on fire ?

31 posted on 11/14/2023 6:38:36 AM PST by SecondAmendment (The history of the present Federal Government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations ...)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The EV crap might change after a few Elites and or Families get incinerated


32 posted on 11/14/2023 6:46:13 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

[[They spent hours pouring 45,000 gallons of water on the car]]

Well by all means then, let’s make everything g electrical because we have far too much water


33 posted on 11/14/2023 6:51:10 AM PST by Bob434
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

But, but, it kills GAIA when it burns!


34 posted on 11/14/2023 7:44:45 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Successful People Have a Sense of Gratitude. Unsuccessful People Have a Sense of Entitlement)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

A friend is the town fire chief.

He said same - their training is: if an EV is on fire, let it burn. If its in a garage, try to isolate the garage from the house.


35 posted on 11/14/2023 7:44:51 AM PST by PGR88
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To: Glennb51

“Use the type of foam the airport fire fighters use?”

Yes, but few fire departments have it, it’s expensive. They usually bury the cars for a week in police impound lots and hope for the best. Most of the time that works, but not always.


36 posted on 11/14/2023 7:48:28 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Successful People Have a Sense of Gratitude. Unsuccessful People Have a Sense of Entitlement)
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To: alloysteel

Thanks. So I would imagine a lithium induced fire is probably even less survivable than one caused by fossil fuels by the heat alone. If someone gets into an accident and get knocked out and the battery goes on fire, they are screwed.


37 posted on 11/14/2023 7:49:07 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free, the USA will never have equal justice under the law)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I cannot imagine the cost of insurance on an EV.


38 posted on 11/14/2023 7:55:05 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If you have a parking garage under your condo tower, you better BAN electric vehicles, or the whole building will burn.


39 posted on 11/14/2023 8:00:45 AM PST by oil_dude
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To: Glennb51
The fire will not go out when completely submerged.

Tesla Model X Slides Down Boat Ramp, Ignites And Burns Underwater

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4195975/posts

40 posted on 11/14/2023 8:35:28 AM PST by Delta 21 (If anyone is treasonous, it is those who call me such.)
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