Firefighting
Firefighting
WARNING: When fire is involved, the entire vehicle should be considered as energized. Always wear full personal protective equipment (PPE), including a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
If the battery catches fire, is exposed to high heat, or is generating heat or gases, USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER to cool it.
It can take copious amounts of water applied directly to the battery to fully extinguish and cool down a battery fire. Always establish or request an additional water supply.
If water is not immediately available, use dry chemicals, CO2, foam, or another typical fire-extinguishing agent to fight the fire until water is available.
Small fires that do not involve the high-voltage battery can be extinguished using typical vehicle firefighting procedures.
A burning or heated battery releases toxic vapors. Responders should always protect themselves with full PPE (including a SCBA) and take appropriate measures to protect civilians downwind from the incident. Use fog streams or positive-pressure ventilation fans (PPV) to direct smoke and vapors.
After knock down
Ensure any fires have been adequately knocked down before entering a hot zone. Heat and flames can compromise airbag inflators, stored gas inflation cylinders, gas struts, and other components, which can result in an unexpected explosion.
During vehicle inspections, always use insulated tools and do not make contact with any high-voltage components.
Use a thermal imaging camera to measure the temperature of the high-voltage battery and monitor heating or cooling trends. Before releasing the vehicle to second responders (such as law enforcement or vehicle transporters) or otherwise leaving the incident, the battery must be completely cooled with no fire, smoke, or heating present for at least one hour. Always notify second responders of the risk of battery re-ignition.