Tesla crash and fire in Columbus exposes dangers of fighting electric vehicle blazes

As more electric vehicles arrive on the scene and are involved in more accidents, dangers and concerns posed to responding emergency personnel are rising.

Evidenced by Sunday night’s double fatality involving a single-car crash of a Tesla electric vehicle, these vehicles powered by large batteries create new challenges to extinguish the blazes, explained a division chief from Columbus.

Division Chief John Shull of Columbus Fire & EMS said that one key concern firefighters must be mindful of is the stranded energy left in the vehicles after accidents.

“We have to be very careful that we don’t cut cables that may be energized,” said Shull, who noted it is difficult to tell if the engine is still running due to the quietness of most electric vehicles.

The firefighters must be wary of possible electrocution while dealing with these vehicles, according to Shull.

A growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) are hitting the roadways with manufacturers like Tesla, Ford, General Motors and Lucid Motors all producing these vehicles that are rising in popularity. As of 2021, Georgia had approximately 30,000 EVs registered out of about 3 million across the United States, according to state official estimates.

While still only representing a fraction of the total vehicles on the road, EVs are becoming more popular due to environmental concerns and state and federal credits. And Georgia itself is becoming a leader in supplying EV parts.

As more EVs hit the road the possibility of one of these vehicles catching fire rises posing new difficulties to the first responders that have to put out the fires.

“As electric vehicles become more prevalent it does create challenges for us in the fire industry,” said Shull. “It is something that nationwide the fire industry is looking at.”

“We’re examining the challenges and trying to prepare for it. Mostly with trying to, or ensuring that our personnel is trained properly when they respond to these types of calls.”

Shull also said that EVs take a lot more water to extinguish compared to motorized vehicles. He says the battery packs in EVs are hard to extinguish when they catch fire.

In the Sunday night accident, the EV fire it took firefighters approximately 1500 gallons of water to extinguish the fire causing the unit to have to resupply their water tank.

However, according to a study conducted by AutoinsuranceEZ showed that 25.1 out of ever 100,000 electric vehicles sold catch fire, which was behind gas vehicles and hybrids.