# Lithium Battery and Electric Vehicle Fires

**Citation:** ERG 2024, Lithium Battery and Electric Vehicle Fires  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** U.S. DOT / Transport Canada / SICT  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2024-04-04

Official ERG2024 lithium battery and electric vehicle fires guidance, pages 358-358.

## Document text

CONSIDERATIONS FOR LITHIUM BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) FIRES
FIRE CONTROL
Water spray cools batteries and helps suppress and slow the release of toxic gases but
does not stop the chemical reaction (thermal runaway). Other extinguishing agents (CO2,
dry chemical, etc.) can trap heat instead of removing it and could result in false (lower
temperature) readings.
During an electric vehicle (EV) fire, consult the manufacturer’s specific emergency response
guide for help with identifying high voltage and medium voltage cabling. DO NOT CUT
THESE CABLES.
Most electric vehicles have emergency cut loops which are low voltage wire loops that can
be cut to disconnect the high voltage system from the rest of the vehicle. If it is safe to do
so, follow the manufacturer’s directions to disconnect the 12-volt battery. This will isolate the
power to the high voltage battery and reduce risk of electric shock.
DAMAGED, DEFECTIVE, OR RECALLED LITHIUM BATTERIES
All lithium batteries can pose a fire risk, whether they are lithium metal or lithium ion, new
or used. However, damaged, defective, or recalled (DDR) lithium batteries pose a higher
risk than non-DDR lithium batteries because they are more likely to catch fire in a process
known as “thermal runaway”.
Thermal runaway is a chain reaction that leads to a violent release of stored energy and
flammable gas. This reaction can spread to other batteries or combustible materials that are
nearby, which could lead to a large-scale thermal event with severe consequences.
Signs that a battery is damaged, defective, or recalled include:
•
leaking electrolytes
•
swollen or discolored battery casing
•
odor or corrosion
•
burn marks
•
known conditions of use or misuse
•
being recalled
Page 356

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-04/ERG2024-Eng-Web-a.pdf#page=358>
- Source ID: `phmsa-erg-2024`
- SHA-256: `f60da343c95d8e143ae6bc2478d10d93138eb04bda6a8b2de35e1036ac735bd9`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-13T11:31:32.574Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T09:41:21.199Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-erg-2024-lithium-ev-fires`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "edition": 2024,
  "language": "English",
  "jurisdiction": "US",
  "caveat": "Emergency-response guidance for the initial phase of a transportation incident. It is not controlling regulation, a compliance determination, a chemical-specific worker safety document, or a substitute for required shipping-paper emergency-response information.",
  "materialSubtype": "phmsa_erg_reference",
  "recordKind": "reference",
  "collectionId": "phmsa-erg-2024-overview",
  "parentDocumentId": "phmsa-erg-2024-overview",
  "sourceDateLabel": "Effective Date",
  "sourceDate": "2024-04-04",
  "startPage": 358,
  "endPage": 358,
  "physicalPageCount": 1
}
```