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Lithium battery fire snarled traffic for 44 hours and trapped motorists heading to Las Vegas from California

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A truck carrying large lithium batteries overturned near Baker, California, causing severe traffic problems over the weekend for about 44 hours on I-15, the main freeway between Las Vegas and Southern California, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal

The crash happened at 8 a.m. Friday, creating a fire that raged on for days, blocking traffic and trapping motorists traveling to Las Vegas. 

“The truck was carrying six industrial-scale lithium metal batteries in a container that weighed more than 75,000 pounds,” the newspaper said. “It burned all night, spewing toxic gasses, and was still smoldering into Saturday night as officials pondered how to extinguish and remove the wreck.”

On Saturday morning, California Highway Patrol Officer Shane Hernandez told the newspaper “thousands upon thousands of commuters headed for Vegas are stuck.” 

The story says that temperatures reached about 100 degrees, and an unknown number of motorists spent the night in their vehicles. 

“U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg weighed in on the situation Saturday evening, posting on X that he had been in touch with the Federal Transportation Administration about the crash and traffic snarl, noting that crews were onsite providing water and fuel for drivers and urging drivers to follow detour guidance from state and local officials,” the newspaper says. 

Another route, I-40, also became congested as motorists attempted to avoid I-15, the article says. 

The newspaper reports that one lane opened at 2:40 a.m. Sunday morning with a second lane reopening at 3:40 a.m.

Hernandez said part of the delay included waiting on “more hazardous materials specialists” to arrive. 

Media coverage of the event rose to a national level with the New York Times reporting that on Saturday several attempts had been made by the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District to move the container off the highway and to the shoulder with heavy machinery. 

The fire district also monitored air quality as it worked to manage the fire, the newspaper said. 

“Emergency responders were checking for hydrogen cyanide, chlorine, and sulfur dioxide, the district said. In the article they said, “‘These chemicals pose significant health risks at elevated levels, with hydrogen cyanide and chlorine being particularly dangerous even at low concentrations.'” 

The district also noted the risk of thermal runaway and the need for massive amounts of water to extinguish the flames.

Electric vehicles (EVs) use lithium-ion batteries and past fires have caused more conversation about how fire departments should respond to EV crash scenes. 

In February, Brian O’Connor, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) senior fire protection engineer, told Repairer Driven News that firefighters and the general public need more education and better tools to counter EV fire risks. He said studies show gas or diesel vehicles are more likely to catch fire, but EV fires are more difficult for first responders to manage. 

Typically, an EV battery takes longer to extinguish than a gas or diesel vehicle, O’Connor said. He said it also takes more effort from first responders to get water on the battery, often under the vehicle’s floor. The location can be different for each make and model. 

A November 2023 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article found some fire departments are letting EV fires burn out rather than waste the gallons of water needed to extinguish the fires. It noted a September Nissan Leaf fire in Franklin, Tennessee, that needed 45,000 gallons of water compared to a gas vehicle fire, which typically requires between 500 and 1,000 gallons. 

O’Connor said letting a fire burn out might work for some fire departments if the vehicle fire is on a rural road or away from other structures. He said it isn’t a reasonable plan for every scenario. 

First responders need training and plans for what to do when they first arrive on-site at an EV fire or crash, he said. This includes first responders understanding there isn’t a singular layout for EV vehicles. Each make and model of an EV can vary. First responders need to look at OEM emergency service guides to know where to make cuts to an EV without damaging a battery or high-voltage cables. 

OEM1Stop.com is an industry site, developed by automakers, that provides access to vehicle repair and service information including Emergency Service Guides for first responders, written by OEMs. The guides include proper battery removal and storage guidance and information about what should happen once the vehicle is brought inside the repair facility.

The Energy Security Agency (ESA) also staffs a 24/7 Guidance Center for first responders, towing and recovery, recyclers, salvage yards, and the repair industry to answer questions about properly handling EV and hybrid vehicles.

The center can walk through risk assessments and help each party label the vehicles with color-coded stickers that warn others of potential risks.

First responder training also needs to focus on what can happen after an EV fire, O’Connor said. The work doesn’t stop once the fire is out. EV batteries could reignite minutes, hours, or even days after a fire, he said. 

“I think training and education is really that first step and it is the step that will have the greatest impact,” O’Conner said. 

NFPA offers numerous EV training online for first responders and the general public, including a training session for vehicle dealerships. The U.S. Department of Energy website also lists EV fire training resources.

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