After an electric car crashed into the Bedford tolls and burst into flames Tuesday, fire departments in New Hampshire said they have several methods to handle EV fires.
Officials said each fire is handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on the best fire suppression method. Litchfield Fire Chief Doug Nicoll said there were roughly 8,000 battery cells underneath the vehicle involved in Tuesday’s crash.
He says once one battery catches fire, the rest can quickly ignite through a process known as thermal runaway. “Thermal runaway starts a chain reaction that moves through the batteries, overheating them until they combust,” Nicoll said.
Nicoll responded to the Bedford fire and said his department is still working to determine the best ways to contain and extinguish EV fires.
“They used a fire blanket yesterday. There are pros and cons to everything,” Nicoll said. “The fire blanket worked. However, there are also other methods, like using copious amounts of water.”
After the fire blanket was applied, the vehicle was removed to Bailey’s Towing auto yard in Merrimack. Officials said the wreckage and batteries could continue burning for several weeks. In the meantime, the blanket remains on top of the car.
WMUR-TV ABC 9 Manchester
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