Hi Richard,
I spoke today (3/23) with Lieutenant Ben Juhola, Training Coordinator of the Lincoln Fire Department (LFD), about EV fire safety. He told me the following (any transcription errors are mine):
- All members of the LFD have been certified through the fire academy on fire behavior, vehicle fires, house fires, propane / natural gas fires, mobile home fires, brush fires, multiple story fires, tanker and transportation mode fires, and electrical fires, among others.
- It takes about 2,000 to 4,000 gallons or more to put out a typical EV fire, which may need to be cooled as well as smothered. (A typical combustion-engine car fire takes about 500 to 2,000 gallons of water.)
- Engine 2 carries 1,900 gallons of water; Engine 3 carries 750 gallons.
- Each truck carries 1500 feet of hose to pump additional water from a hydrant.
- Engine 2 and Engine 3 also carry fire-fighting foam.
- LFD has pre-existing plans for each home in town for how to respond to a call, including which trucks to send and where to station them.
- There have been no EV fires in Lincoln to date.
- LFD doesn’t have specific recommendations for EV owners regarding fire safety.
- EV owners may notify LFD that they park an EV at their home.
I am grateful to Lt Juhola for this information and to the entire Fire Department for their preparedness and dedication.
Separately, note that the RMV offers "EV' plates for electric vehicles, which can help firefighters identify EVs.
I hope this answers your questions on EV fire safety; if not, feel free to contact me.
Best regards,
Roy Harvey
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