Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) or Electric Vehicles (E.V.) have seen a steady increase in use and popularity over the past two decades.
These vehicles are continuing to become more popular.
In response to rising incidents and concerns, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released a report detailing findings that firefighters are at significant risk due to a lack of understanding of electric vehicle (EV) fires.
Here’s a video with a brief overview of the report findings
Different challenges then gasoline powered vehicles
Fire extinguishment could be challenging due to battery placement in vehicles. Need to direct water streams to cool batteries and prevent a thermal run off.
Battery placement in E.V.s differ from manufacture
Reignitions are more likely – Batteries can retain energy even when the fire is out.
Reignition could happen days after vehicle accident and rekindle in tow yards.
Batteries can separate from the vehicle and still ignite.
Battery separated from vehicle and ignited the tow truck during transportation.
Water Application is critical to slow down the batteries and to prevent thermal runaway.
Thermal runaway - exponential increase of the temperature inside the battery cell so that the rate of heat generation becomes faster than the rate of heat removal
Battery Reignition – When the batteries create a short circuit or reignite. Can happen when in recovery operations
Stranded Energy – When the batteries retain energy after the fire being put out and pose a risk of reignition. Can happen days after vehicle recovery operations
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Course/Activity: Fire Control- Vehicle Fires
ISO Code: Should Populate Automatically to Company training
Codes: None
Location of Training: Location you trained, typically your firehouse
Locale: The station doing the training
Date: date of the training
Hours: 2.5
Event Description “September 2025 Monthly Training” and a brief description of training
External Instructors: Person or Persons providing the training for the company
Attendees: Enter everyone’s name, including those listed as the instructor, yes people can be listed as both attendee and instructor.
If you have a prepared training program that would benefit the department, send an email to Chief Steve Clegg Steven.Clegg@indy.gov the training will be reviewed and sent out department wide via monthly training if approved.