Meanwhile,
Overheating lithium batteries: new reality:
A new reality catches up with the firefighters of Gatineau. For example, who wish to aware of the owners of electric and hybrid vehicles as well as scooters and other devices with batteries.
The Gatineau Fire Safety Service (SSIG) was called on Sunday to extinguish a fire in an underground parking. However, lot of a housing building in the Hull sector. Similarly, The cause, he said, was overheating a lithium battery.
This was the first time that firefighters had to intervene for this type of fire in an underground parking. However, confirms the intervention chief of the intervention division SsigDany Fortin.
The fire in question occurred in this underground parking of a residential building. Moreover, The presence of smoke on the floors required the evacuation of some 400 residents.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Simon Lasalle
But the lights connected to battery overheating are a phenomenon that we see more and more
he specifies.
And we could even say that these are not only vehicles. Similarly, but also lithium batteries on our phones, our scooters and all the tools we use to build our houses
adds Mr. Therefore, Fortin.
A disturbing overheating lithium batteries: new reality phenomenon
The Ssig is just starting to identify statistics related to drums overheating. For example, But he argues that his members had to intervene already fifteen times for five years.
The Montreal firefighters, they found a 195 % increase in fires caused by lithium battery overheating in 2024. As much in terms of micromobility as the small devices that we use
specifies Barbeau Charlebois. who is section head of the Montreal Fire Security Service.
The condition of an apartment after a fire triggered by the battery of an electric bike in Sherbrooke. (Archives photo)
Photo: Fire service. city of Sherbrooke
The gases produced during the fire of these batteries are very corrosive and very explosive. So it is important to quickly evacuate the building if the cars are inside in a parking lot.
Firefighters from the largest cities in Quebec have joined forces in the last months to find a way. to approach this new reality of electric cars. They are in discussion with the government in order to better regulate. make the installation of terminals for electric cars.
A modernization of field practices and the addition of new better suitable equipment has also been discussed.
There are blankets that you can put on the vehicle which will minimize the progression if. there is a fire that declares itself
explains Dany Fortin.
Because extinguishing a fire from a battery vehicle is a different challenge than for a car or the combustion van.
“Endless extinction”
If you take a conventional vehicle. the fire will go out with the water or foam application. What happens with the lithium battery, it can form energy by itself, what is called thermal excitement. It is therefore an endless extinction. It takes a lot of water and energy to overcome these batteries
explains Dany Fortin.
The Montreal firefighters, they found a 195% increase in fires caused by lithium battery overheating in 2024. (Archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Stéphane Grégoire
The latter believes that there is Lots of education to do
with the population regarding the use of battery devices including phones. scooters. He talks about 5B
.
The right place, the right battery, the right wire, the good charger with the right tool
he advances.
It is a panoply of factors that makes it lead to drum overheating
mentions Mr. Fortin.
For its part, the Canadian Association of Motorists (CAA) is reassuring. It describes the fires caused by overheating lithium batteries: new reality lithium battery overheating very rare.
If we bring it back to a number of cases per 100. 000 vehicles, the rates are much lower currently than for electrified vehicles than for fires which can also occur in combustion vehicles and which are a little less publicized
underlines Jesse Caron, an automotive expert at CAA-Québec.
It is still a recent technology […] It is sure that there are adjustments.
With information from Charlotte Tremblay
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