{"operation":"document","citation":"ERG 2024, Lithium Battery and Electric Vehicle Fires","title":"Lithium Battery and Electric Vehicle Fires","source_type":"guidance","agency":"U.S. DOT / Transport Canada / SICT","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2024-04-04","effective_on":null,"summary":"Official ERG2024 lithium battery and electric vehicle fires guidance, pages 358-358.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-lithium-ev-fires.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-lithium-ev-fires.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-lithium-ev-fires","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-04/ERG2024-Eng-Web-a.pdf#page=358","body":"CONSIDERATIONS FOR LITHIUM BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) FIRES\nFIRE CONTROL\nWater spray cools batteries and helps suppress and slow the release of toxic gases but\ndoes not stop the chemical reaction (thermal runaway). Other extinguishing agents (CO2,\ndry chemical, etc.) can trap heat instead of removing it and could result in false (lower\ntemperature) readings.\nDuring an electric vehicle (EV) fire, consult the manufacturer’s specific emergency response\nguide for help with identifying high voltage and medium voltage cabling. DO NOT CUT\nTHESE CABLES.\nMost electric vehicles have emergency cut loops which are low voltage wire loops that can\nbe cut to disconnect the high voltage system from the rest of the vehicle. If it is safe to do\nso, follow the manufacturer’s directions to disconnect the 12-volt battery. This will isolate the\npower to the high voltage battery and reduce risk of electric shock.\nDAMAGED, DEFECTIVE, OR RECALLED LITHIUM BATTERIES\nAll lithium batteries can pose a fire risk, whether they are lithium metal or lithium ion, new\nor used. However, damaged, defective, or recalled (DDR) lithium batteries pose a higher\nrisk than non-DDR lithium batteries because they are more likely to catch fire in a process\nknown as “thermal runaway”.\nThermal runaway is a chain reaction that leads to a violent release of stored energy and\nflammable gas. This reaction can spread to other batteries or combustible materials that are\nnearby, which could lead to a large-scale thermal event with severe consequences.\nSigns that a battery is damaged, defective, or recalled include:\n•\nleaking electrolytes\n•\nswollen or discolored battery casing\n•\nodor or corrosion\n•\nburn marks\n•\nknown conditions of use or misuse\n•\nbeing recalled\nPage 356","truncated":false,"body_characters":1749}