Another container ship EV fire

[oldbrownhat]

We haven't had one of these for a while!

AP News:
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire

The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain...

 

[quikdraw67]

Good. Burn. Sink. As long as all the crew escapes unharmed

Some NJ FF were killed trying to fight a fire on one of these at Port of Newark a few years ago.

I despise EV's. I have an app on my phone if I have the bad luck to deal with them in a MVC. Virtue signaling, especially in my parts.

I'll buy a horse and buggy before I buy an EV.

 

[schutz5]

Well that looks like a lovely environmental scene!

 

[sjmjax]

I guess EV’s aren’t as environmentally friendly as claimed!

 

[Rudi]

The only cars that are deadly when parked.

 

[lihpster]

Uh, guys? When I said I wanted flames on my hotrod, this wasn't what I meant.

 

[Rule3]

Vehicles from China going to Mexico

 

[Jon651]

We haven't had one of these for a while!

AP News:
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire

The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain...

Here's an important lesson I learned about EV fires before I retired from the FD:

A standard (internal combustion powered) vehicle burns differently depending on the type and amount of fuel it has on board. An EV fire burns intensely hot regardless of how "full" its battery packs are.

For a transport ship such as this, there's a real reason why standard vehicles are shipped without a lot of fuel (other than the cost, of course) - but shipping EVs is like every one has a full tank of gas even if the battery is dead flat...

 

[DWalt]

There are many reasons I want no part of owning an EV. Their fire hazard is near the top, if not at it. I have not personally seen an EV battery fire, but I did see an aftermath of one. Pretty sobering.

 

[DWalt]

I have continued to read the latest about the car transport ship fire. There were only around 80 EVs and over 600 hybids aboard, all others were conventional gasoline engines. It has not yet been positively established that the fire started in the EV or hybrid vehicle batteries. Ship seems to be a total loss. Several very interesting accounts on the internet, apparently there is no effective way to fight shipboard EV battery fires unless there is special battery case-piercing firefighting equipment available. And it was not.

One additional interesting fact. About half of EV battery fires occur during charging.

 

[fiasconva]

I agree with losing the 800 EV's but what about the other 2200 vehicles? It's going to be a bad few weeks for some dealers.

 

[Protocall_Design]

And a bad year for the owner of the ship...

 

[tlawler]

Good. Burn.Sink. As long as all the crew escapes unharmed

I was thinking that would be the only way to truly put it out anyway. Like hosing down a reactor that went critical after catastrophic loss of coolant.

 

[DWalt]

True. The article said that in most cases hosing down an EV battery fire with water is a futile effort as the batteries are inside a sealed metal compartment and water cannot reach them. The best way is to use of a special tool that pierces the battery compartment from below to allow it to be filled with water. About 500 gallons of water will do it. Of course the car will probably still be totaled out. Unfortunately, those piercing tools are very expensive and very few fire departments have any. My way is far simpler. Avoid EV ownership. There are several YouTube videos showing the battery compartment piercing fireighting tool if anyone wants to see it in action.

 

[DWalt]

I agree with losing the 800 EV's but what about the other 2200 vehicles? It's going to be a bad few weeks for some dealers.

I believe the article said all were Chinese cars. Not sure. To be sold in Mexico.