~ A recent notice issued by the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) and the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) has highlighted a potential explosion hazard when using fire blankets during electric vehicle (EV) fire suppression efforts involving battery involvement.

Experiments conducted by both organizations have demonstrated that when a fire blanket is deployed to suppress an EV fire, it eliminates the presence of flames by depriving oxygen to the vehicle and battery fire. However, this also allows for the ongoing accumulation of flammable gases released by continued thermal runaway in the battery pack, presenting a potential explosion risk.

In some of the experiments, this accumulation of flammable gases under the blankets posed a danger to firefighters operating near the vehicle. The risk of an explosion is further increased when air is reintroduced into an oxygen-depleted accumulation of unburned flammable battery gases.

To address this issue and improve firefighter safety during EV fires, FPRF is currently conducting research on current firefighting tactics and tools used in managing EV incidents. Their recent experiments for the Assessment of EV Firefighting Tactics, Tools and Impact on Stranded Energy project evaluated four different firefighting tactics: standard hose stream application with water only, standard hose stream application with injected agent, electric vehicle fire blankets, and firefighting appliances. Analysis of the data from these experiments is currently underway and preliminary results will be presented at the annual NFPA Conference and Expo in Las Vegas on June 16th. The full analysis will be included in FPRF's upcoming research report, which will be publicly available this fall on nfpa.org/foundation.

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Similarly, FSRI is also conducting research to improve understanding of hazards associated with electric vehicle battery fires and develop effective firefighting tactics for controlling them. Their recent experiments for the Fire Safety of Batteries and Electric Vehicles project evaluated three different tactics: standard hose stream application, water application with an under-vehicle nozzle, and electric vehicle fire blankets. Analysis of the video and data from these experiments is currently underway and will be included in FSRI's forthcoming electric vehicle research report, available on fsri.org.

These experiments conducted by both organizations have reinforced the need for continued research on EV firefighting tactics to ensure the safety of firefighters responding to such incidents. The potential explosion hazard when using fire blankets during EV fire suppression efforts highlights the importance of understanding and effectively managing these risks.

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