A fire department in Granite Falls, Washington is marking a milestone after becoming one of the first departments in the region to successfully deploy an EV fire blanket to contain a burning electric vehicle, preventing the kind of runaway thermal event that has made EV fires so challenging for emergency responders in recent years. The blanket, which is designed to deprive the burning battery of oxygen and prevent the spread of fire to surrounding structures, performed as intended and allowed firefighters to contain the incident with significantly less water and at lower risk than conventional EV fire suppression approaches require.
EV fire blankets have emerged as one of the more promising tools in the fire service’s response to the specific challenges posed by lithium-ion battery fires, which can burn at extremely high temperatures, resist conventional suppression methods, and reignite after appearing to be extinguished. The technology is being adopted by fire departments across the country with varying levels of speed, and the Granite Falls success story will likely encourage neighboring departments to invest in the equipment. The incident provided valuable real-world experience that the department will use to refine its protocols for future EV fire responses.
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