Electric cars are still quite controversial despite their growing popularity, much to the chagrin of many owners. One of the biggest pet peeves of many EV enthusiasts is all the attention paid to electric vehicle fires. But it’s cases like this one out of Alabama which literally fuel the public’s interest in the topic.
Cops in California can’t play mind games with you when they pull you over now.
The incident in question took place on Christmas night when a Tesla Model Y crashed, the battery ruptured, and a fire started. Thankfully, Pine Level Fire Department said the driver was able to get out of the EV before it was gutted by the intense flames.
EV fires burn hotter than your average car, reaching about 4,532 degrees Fahrenheit. That explains why this Tesla was gutted by the blaze. Those kinds of temperatures, combined with other unique aspects of electric car fires, make them difficult and incredibly dangerous to put out.
In this case, Pine Level Fire Department said it called for help from five other fire departments. In total, three fire engines, four water tankers, and a brush truck responded. With two hose lines, firefighters doused the Tesla with over 36,000 gallons of water before they were confident the vehicle was safe to transport.
We’ve seen a number of EV owners get their feathers in a ruffle in situations like this, claiming they have more expertise in fighting electric vehicle fires and that the way firefighters treated the blaze was all wrong. We’re not experts in firefighting techniques but have watched training videos for firefighters dealing with EVs, including one produced by Tesla itself, and they used water to extinguish those fires.
Again, we’re not saying that’s the best way, but we don’t think these firefighters are some backwards country bumpkins, something far too many keyboard warriors with an EV in their garage try to claim in these situations.
If any EV owner who doesn’t want to get offended but instead is truly interested in learning why people are so concerned about electric car fires, this story provides an excellent example. The intensity of burning batteries is horrifying, plus this Model Y could still reignite while sitting in a junk yard, so it has to be kept away from buildings and other vehicles just in case.
Image via Pine Level Fire Department
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