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Ask the Builder: Lithium batteries are all around you — and they can catch fire
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Oct 18, 2024Lithium-ion batteries and salt water don't mix, making electric vehicles of all kinds a potential tinder box during floods and hurricanes. It's not a far-fetched warning -- at least two elderly Florida men died when their golf carts burst into flame following Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
One of the victims was in his golf cart iin Charlotte County, near Fort Myers, when it exploded into flames following Hurricane Milton. A similar death was reported in Palm Beach after Hurricane Helene.
Florida’s chief financial officer, whose office oversees insurance and financial regulations, also serves as state fire marshal. He has warned repeatedly about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, used in electric and hybrid vehicles and in power tools.
“Following the devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene last week, the Division of State Fire Marshal has confirmed more than a dozen reports of EVs, hybrids or other lithium-ion battery powered vehicles or devices causing fire hazards in areas impacted by this storm,” CFO Jimmy Patronis said in a statement.
Saltwater storm surge, in particular, makes electric vehicles a fire threat because salt water is a better conductor of electricity than fresh water, Patronis said. Owners were urged to move vehicles before storms to higher ground and away from areas that could flood.
Besides the fatal accidents, CFO's Division of State Fire Marshal has confirmed 48 lithium-ion battery fires related to storm surge from Hurricane Helene, with 11 of those fires associated with EVs.
Consumer items containing lithium-ion batteries include cars, scooters, hover boards, golf carts and children's toys. The CFO also called on EV manufacturers to be proactive by alerting consumers to place their EVs to higher ground.
Follow these fire safety tips if your EV, hybrid, or alternative fuel vehicle is flooded during a hurricane:
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ConsumerAffairs' founder and former editor, Jim Hood formerly headed Associated Press Broadcast News, directing coverage of major news events worldwide. He also served as Senior Vice President of United Press International and was the founder and editor of Zapnews, a newswire service for radio and television.
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