EV Tesla Fire Poses New Challenge For Firefighters Post-Hurricane Ian

COLLIER COUNTY (FLV) – Firefighters are facing a new challenge during Hurricane Ian recovery: battling the flames of a Tesla fire.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis tweeted a video of firefighters battling a Tesla fire near US 41 in Collier County.

“There’s a ton of EVs (Electric Vehicles) disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start,” Patronis said.

Public Information Officer Heather Mazurkiewicz told Florida’s Voice that the car was moved near a fire hydrant to gain access to a continuous water flow and will continue to monitor the car.

Mazurkiewicz says Floridians who own electric vehicles that have been flooded in salt water should tow them out of their garages and away from structures for safety. She recommends bringing EVs to a yard that specializes in holding emergency vehicles.

It has been reported that it can take as long as 24 hours to put out, according to a guide for first responders for the Tesla Model S. 

While data has proven that electric fires aren’t as common as gas fires, lithium-ion battery fires in electric cars are significantly harder to put out.

In June of 2022, a Tesla caught on fire in Sacramento which took about 4,500 gallons of water extinguish due to the car continually re-igniting fire in the battery compartment. 

There have been other similar complaints about electric vehicle fires across the United States, saying that large amounts of water are the only solution when compared to a traditional vehicle fire.

“There is not any, at this point, any easily obtainable extinguishing agent on the market to deal with these fires. it all goes back to the way the cars are engineered with the battery pack being at the bottom of the car, and encased in a titanium shell, so you really can’t gain access to it, you just have to sit back and pour water on it,” said Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck, as reported by FOX7.