The Truth About EV Fires
- Fire Roots
- Jul 25, 2025
- 2 min read
I’m sure that by now, all of us have seen some sort of sensationalized news headline, screaming “Another EV Fire has Occurred!” It’s quite easy to get caught up in it; after all, the idea of an electric car bursting into flames sounds like something straight out of a dystopian movie. However, at the end of the day, it is important to look at the bigger picture: electric vehicles are about 20 times less likely to catch fire than traditionally gas-powered cars.
The truth is electric vehicles are actually not catching on fire left on right, unlike some headlines suggest. Despite this, it is still important to acknowledge the dangers that may occur when they do catch on fire.
Most commonly, when electric vehicles catch on fire or are exposed to extreme heat, they experience something called thermal runaway. Thermal runaways involve the lithium batteries that are used to power the cars. Essentially, the battery short circuits, causing it to heat up uncontrollably. This results in tiny droplets of electrolytes to boil and become vapor, giving the appearance of a cloud. This vapor cloud is incredibly dangerous, as it is made of flammable gases. If the temperature continues to rise, the battery will ignite, causing a fire. Additionally, this fire can easily spread to neighboring batteries, continuing the fire and making it difficult to put out. They face the danger of reignition in the hours following, and release toxic flammable gases. Firefighters who respond to these fires must follow specialized protocols, such as using large amounts of water.
Although electrical vehicle fires are rare, there are cases where people must be prepared. A such case were the Los Angeles wildfires, when electrical vehicles were abandoned following the fire. These vehicles still housed the lithium batteries, which acted like ticking time bombs. Firefighters had to be cautious, in case the batteries reignited or emitted toxic gases.
To address the commonly held belief– yes, electrical vehicle fires do occur, and though they are rare, they present unique challenges that require preparation and awareness.
__________________________________________________________________________________
-Written by Anna Zhao
Bibliography
Comments