Substitute Senate Bill 5812 (SSB 5812) called for the WSP to “conduct a study of electric vehicle fires reviewing the following: impacts to the environment and proximate residential areas and health impacts to responding firefighters; best practices for fire response; and best practices regarding cleanup and disposal efforts.” This legislative direction is an important complement to Washington State’s transportation electrification strategy, which together with federal infrastructure funding, is requiring and incentivizing a rapid transition from internal combustion engines to electric or battery powered vehicles. This legislative direction recognizes that new technologies present different risks to firefighters and communities. As we make this transition, it is important that the fire service and other responders be prepared to effectively protect and rescue the public. In addition, the legislative direction recognizes the importance of incorporating protections for first responders and the environment into planning for response to electric vehicle fires.
In the first five months of 2023, electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) represented 16% of vehicles sold in Washington State, making Washington a recognized leader in the work to electrify transportation (Interagency Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council, 2024). EV cars will soon represent a large percentage of passenger vehicles and light trucks on Washington State’s roads and will also come to represent a similar proportion of vehicle crashes and fire responses.
California’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule requires 100% of new passenger vehicles to be electric by 2035 (California Air Resource Board, 2024). Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 43.392.020 establishes a target that 100% of passenger vehicles and light duty vehicles sold, purchased, or registered in Washington State be electric by 2030. The Washington State Legislature adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards, including Advanced Clean Cars I and II (ACC I and II)
(Chapter 173-432 WAC , 2021).
The transformation of energy and transportation in Washington State from carbon-based to electric is one of the most important contributions the state can make to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help slow climate change. This transformation also represents the most substantial changes in the transportation sector since the start of the 20th century, when steam engines and horse drawn vehicles were replaced by petroleum-based internal combustion engines.
Batteries are an integral part of electrification, as they allow electricity to travel with a moving vehicle. Battery technologies are evolving quickly and have been identified as posing new and different challenges for first responders. Battery fires pose the following risks:
- Battery cells burn at a slightly higher temperature than internal combustion engine fires.
- Additional toxic gases, including heavy metal particulates are released when lithium-ion batteries go into thermal run away.
- Gases generated during thermal run away may build up in enclosed spaces such as garages, vehicle compartments, and shipping containers which can result in an explosion. The explosion can result in death or serious injury to those in proximity to the location of the fire.
- Significantly more water and time is generally necessary to extinguish the fire.
- Control and evacuation zones may be larger due to the toxic gases that are emitted during the combustion of the EV.
- EV fires may cause impacts to traffic due to the extended amount of time that may be required to stabilize the incident.
- Damaged batteries can reignite hours or days after they are initially extinguished.
- EVs involved in collisions may ignite or reignite while in transport or in storage.
- Environmental impact concerns need to be considered due to contaminants and run off present during an EV fire.
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