LOS ANGELES (CNS) – The Los Angeles City Council Friday approved a motion seeking an assessment of the Fire Department’s equipment and training in a bid to improve their capabilities of addressing electric vehicle fires.
In a 11-0 vote, members instructed the department to report on the tools and equipment it currently has to fight EV fires, as well as what other resources might be needed to manage those calls for service.
The LAFD will also be tasked with providing information on a possible training program to prepare personnel on EV fires — which would provide specialized protocols for electrical fires, in particular for those that burn as a result of lithium-ion batteries.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced the motion on Dec. 3, 2024, which was seconded by her colleague Eunisses Hernandez.
Rodriguez said this report is important because of the firsthand experience seen during the mass devastation in the Palisades and Eaton fires. There was a lot of toxicity as a result from battery burns — but it’s a concern as more people purchase and use electric vehicles.
“This continues to present greater challenges for our L.A. City firefighters and how they combat and protect themselves in responding to these fires,” Rodriguez said. “This motion is to begin the work of our identifying what tools and resources they need to better prepare the growing surge of electric vehicles and the potential combustion of these vehicles.”
According to the motion, EV fires can be difficult to deal with because of thermal runaway, a chemical process that is not as easy to extinguish compared to a gasoline fire, which requires oxygen.
EV fires are high-temperature, prone to re-ignition and can take several hours or even days to be completely extinguished. Such fires often release toxic gases that pose health risks to responders and may require the use of self-contained breathing apparatus, a kind of respirator.
“The Los Angeles Fire Department must take proactive steps to ensure that they are best equipped to handle these incidents,” the motion reads.
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