Firefighters Said It Took 18 Hours To Put Out EV Blaze At A Cadillac Dealership, And The Photos Are Terrifying

I used to have a “bit” about how the worst day for a firefighter is when a warehouse full of those novelty birthday candles that reignite after you blow them out catches fire. But I’m sure the firefighters at the Fort Worth Fire Department’s (FWFD) Station 23 would have happily taken on that novelty-candle warehouse blaze over the far more dangerous fire they did find themselves fighting at Frank Kent Cadillac on October 9th. As the incredible photos show, the incident sent crews up against notoriously difficult-to-extinguish EV fires for just under 18 hours before the flames were finally under control.

What apparently began as a single-vehicle fire ultimately claimed six Cadillac SUVs (some of them Escalade IQs) and damaged two more, according to the FWFd’s Facebook post below. Initially, firefighters were unaware the burning vehicles were EVs. “As crews were battling the fire that was quickly spreading from one SUV to the next, they realized these were all electric vehicles,” the post states. As the fire department goes on to say, not only do EVs burn hotter, but because their battery packs are purposefully designed to be watertight, it’s much harder to get water to the source of the flames.

[Ed Note: It’s here that I point out that EVs have less of a propensity to catch fire than gas cars. They burn hotter and are harder to put out, but overall, they’re considered safer. This post is just highlighting a heroic act captured by an excellent photographer. -DT]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen photos that so dramatically capture the incredible energy of an EV fire and the bravery of the firefighters who get up close to contain them:

According to the FWFD, what looks like a tarp in the photo above is actually critical firefighting equipment credited with helping thwart the blaze:

In many of the photos, you will see vehicles covered in what looks like a blanket. These special vehicle blankets were placed on the cars to hold the fire at bay while other vehicles in the path of the fire were moved away. This would prevent the spread of fire to the exposure vehicles which would inevitably have created a bigger issue.

Frank Kent Cadillac was, of course, thankful for the heroic efforts of the FWFD that prevented what could have been a far more costly and potentially deadly fire, and conveyed their gratitude via Facebook:

We owe an enormous thank you to our first responders, whose quick response and decisive action brought the fire under control before it could spread to neighboring businesses or the surrounding grassland. Their professionalism, courage, and swift action made all the difference, and we cannot thank them enough. […] Please join us in leaving a kind word of thanks for the incredible men and women of Station 23,” the dealership wrote. “They showed up when we needed them most, and we plan to make sure that firehouse eats well for days to come!”

Here’s additional coverage of the fire via WFAA in Fort Worth:

For more insight on how firefighters deal with the unique nature of EV fires, I looked up the procedures recommended by the UL Research Institute’s Fire Safety Research Institute. According to its report, “Full-Scale Electric Vehicle Fire Experiments and Recommendations for Fire Incident Response” (you can view all 150 pages here), these are the essentials:

Immediately Suppress EV Fire With Water While Protecting Exposures
Suppression with a handline with water (no additives) is recommended as the first choice of suppression strategy, similar to a conventional vehicle fire attack. The use of tools designed to introduce water directly into the battery pack was not examined in this work. However, firefighters should not open or pierce the battery pack outer case.

Fight the Vehicle Fire First, the Battery Fire Second
The fire in the passenger compartment represents a significant portion of the thermal and chemical exposure hazard and will readily respond to water. Rapid suppression of the cabin fire reduces the thermal and chemical exposure hazard to surrounding objects, civilians and first responders, especially if battery involvement is prevented.

The battery fire is best controlled by supervising the battery fire until thermal runaway stops. Water should be applied intermittently to prevent reignition of the rest of the vehicle and redirect flames from exposures if necessary. Applying copious amounts of water to the battery enclosure is wasteful and will not stop thermal runaway. Likewise, introducing water into an uninvolved battery may increase (re-)ignition risk.

Use Caution if Deploying Fire Blankets
Fire blankets, while not recommended as the first choice in suppression strategy, may be effective under limited operational scenarios. They will not stop thermal runaway or the resulting production of flammable gases, and they limit firefighters’ ability to monitor the vehicle. Firefighters should not manipulate the blanket once it is deployed and remain cognizant of the latent reignition and deflagration hazard. It is inadvisable to use fire blankets in areas where flammable gases may accumulate and form an explosive atmosphere, such as indoors. Fire blankets should remain undisturbed for at least one hour after the last visible fire or smoke emanating from under the blanket.

After the Fire
Following extinguishment, the vehicle should be observed for reignition risk to identify any ongoing hazards. Release of the vehicle should occur after inspection has identified the relative reignition risk. Even if the battery appears to have burnt out, it cannot be excluded that moving the vehicle may cause a short circuit and subsequent reignition of remaining intact cells. For this reason, firefighters should remain vigilant and continue to use an SCBA during overhaul and inspection. Fire departments should consider escorting the tow truck to the tow lot to ensure rapid identification and suppression should reignition occur. A quarantine distance of at least 5 m (16 ft) to any other combustible object should be left at the salvage yard.

The report also includes response decision trees like this one. It’s a lot more involved than “aim hose at fire.”

[Ed Note: You have to check out this amazing website funded by the Australian government. It provides detailed info on EV fire suppression. -DT]

In the unlikely event anyone needs extra convincing that EV fires are no joke, the firefighting steps and photos above oughta do it. We join Frank Kent Cadillac in our appreciation for the hard work of the Fort Worth Fire Department and the firefighters everywhere doing their best to keep us all safe.

Top graphic images: Glen E. Ellman/FWFD