Tag Archives: Electric vehicle fires

A Major Ecological Disaster off Alaska’s Aleutian Island Chain

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On June 6th, I posted an article about the Morning Midas, a ship carrying electric vehicles that was burning in waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain. On Tuesday, The Liberty Daily reported the latest on the fire.

The article reports:

A vehicle carrier transporting hundreds of Chinese electric vehicles (EV) sank in the Pacific Ocean after catching fire, fueling renewed concerns about the hazard associated with EV batteries, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The Morning Midas was carrying approximately 3,000 cars, including around 800 EVs, most of which were manufactured in China, according to the WSJ. While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, lithium-ion batteries used in many EVs are known to be highly flammable, and have been linked to similar maritime incidents in the past.

The ship had been drifting in the ocean after a fire broke out on June 3, prompting the crew to abandon the vessel. At the time of the incident, the vessel was en route to Mexico.

Several similar incidents involving ships carrying EVs have occurred in recent years. Experts linked a 2022 incident, in which a cargo ship transporting thousands of cars went down in the Atlantic Ocean after catching fire, to a large number of lithium-ion batteries on board, the WSJ noted.

Additionally, the insurance company Allianz recently issued a report warning about the risks of shipping vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries, citing a series of recent fires on vessels, ports and battery facilities. A notable case in 2024 involved a fire and explosion on a container ship docked at a Chinese port, which is thought to have been triggered by a container carrying hazardous materials, including lithium batteries.

According to the Thompson safety website:

As fire fighters have discovered in recent years, lithium-ion battery fires are prone to reigniting. That’s because the lithium salts in the battery are self-oxidizing, which means that they can’t be “starved out” like a traditional fire. So how do you put it out?

Because the lithium has an ignition point of 500°C, the battery has to be cooled to a sub-ignition temperature. That’s why it took the fire fighters in Texas 30,000 gallons of water and 4 hours to extinguish the blaze.

Why This Is Relevant To You

As the popularity of electric vehicles and machinery continues to increase, so will the number of fires and other accidents that involve them. For instance, most forklift manufacturers have moved away from traditional lead-acid batteries in favor of more powerful and efficient lithium-ion alternatives. Laptops, tablets, phones, and pretty much all other portable electronics use them as well.

While the chances of a lithium-ion battery catching fire are minimal, it’s important that you’re aware of the possibility and have a plan of action prepared if it ever happens.

I think we need to do more research before we put an electric vehicle in every garage.

Something To Think About If Your Live Near The Coast

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I live in North Carolina. North Carolina is part of hurricane alley. We can count on at least one or two hurricanes during the hurricane season. The hope is that they will brush by without much damage or that they will come in over land and weaken before they get here. However, if you live near an ocean or brackish river in a place prone to hurricanes, there are some things you need to consider before climbing aboard the electric car bandwagon.

On Saturday, The Epoch Times reported the following:

Hurricane Idalia and subsequent floods have created an electric vehicle (EV) fire risk in Florida as batteries exposed to saltwater become susceptible to combustion, based on statements from one of the fire departments in the state.

“WARNING. If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has come into contact with saltwater due to recent flooding within the last 24 hours, it is crucial to relocate the vehicle from your garage without delay. Saltwater exposure can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries. If possible, transfer your vehicle to higher ground,” Palm Harbor Fire Rescue (PHFR), Florida, said in an Aug. 31 Facebook post.

“This includes golf carts and electric scooters. Don’t drive these through water. PHFR crews have seen numerous residents out in golf carts and children on scooters riding through water.”

The issue with saltwater is that even if the water dries off, the residue can remain, potentially triggering electrical connections within the EV battery, which eventually sparks into a fire. In the post, PHFR pointed to two Tesla EVs in Dunedin that had caught fire.

The article concludes:

The problem of EVs catching fire was a major issue in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022. In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following the hurricane, Florida CFO Mr. Patronis called the potential of EV fires a “ticking time bomb on our hands.”

“I joined North Collier Fire Rescue to assess response activities related to Hurricane Ian and saw with my own eyes an EV continuously ignite, and continually reignite, as fire teams doused the vehicle with tens of thousands of gallons of water,” he wrote.

“I was informed by the fire department that the vehicle, once again reignited when it was loaded onto the tow truck.”

According to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, 21 fires have been associated with electric vehicles following Hurricane Ian.

Even without being submerged in water, EV fires are now a major concern in several places. In New York, there were 220 fires last year due to electric batteries in e-micromobility devices, up from just 44 in 2020.

“These fires are particularly severe and difficult to extinguish, spreading quickly, and producing noxious fumes,” officials said in a news release.

In a report on safety recommendations, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) warned that “lithium-Ion batteries are known to unexpectedly reignite (without warning) minutes, hours, and even days after all visible fire has been put out.”

The batteries “can enter an uncontrollable, self-heating state. This can result in the release of gas, cause fire, and possible explosion.”

This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.