By Steven Symes 
Once again flooding caused by a hurricane is posing a real safety risk in Florida as electric cars spontaneously catch fire. Officials in Pinellas County shared footage of a Tesla sitting in a residential garage suddenly combusting from the battery pack in the chassis as a warning to EV owners in the wake of Helene.
Apparently car thieves don’t want electric vehicles.
While some might interpret this as bashing on electric vehicles, officials just want to have residents contact the fire department so their EVs can be inspected as a way to prevent fires. Many owners don’t realize their vehicle’s batteries can be damaged by salt water, leading to a sudden blaze like the one in the video.
In one case, an EV caught fire in the garage after the owners evacuated to flee the storm. Unfortunately, the blaze spread to the house and gutted it, leaving only the charred remains of the family’s belongings behind.
That was one of many electric car fires which caught garages and homes on fire. EV fires burn hotter than a traditional car fire, making them more destructive and harder for fire crews to battle, even in the best of conditions.
We’ve seen these incidents after every major hurricane has hit the US recently, even if the EV fires don’t get much coverage. Hopefully awareness is spreading among owners.
The risk isn’t just with EVs but also with electric scooters, bikes, even lawnmowers. Any lithium-ion batteries which were submerged in the salt water could suddenly explode, spreading flames rapidly.
If you’re concerned, don’t try charging whatever vehicle was possibly in contact with salt water. Fire officials would rather visit your house and inspect your stuff when it’s not on fire, so call and have them come check out your batteries before you do anything else.
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