Firefighters used drones to locate EV fire hotspots
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Firefighters in Chesterfield County, Virginia, took four hour battle to extinguish a fire sparked by an overturned electric SUV, highlighting the growing challenges posed by electric vehicle (EV) fires.
The incident occurred on Walton Bluff Parkway when the SUV crashed and its lithium-ion battery pack ruptured, igniting a fire that proved difficult to suppress. Fire crews from Station 5, the Fire Marshal’s Office, and the department’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) team responded to the scene.
Using a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera, firefighters were able to monitor battery-cell temperatures and detect lingering hotspots long after the visible flames were extinguished. These hotspots posed a risk of “thermal runaway,” where damaged battery cells can heat up and trigger chain reactions.
“EV batteries are encased in protective shells, making them harder to cool and extending on-scene time compared with gasoline vehicles, which are typically cleared in under an hour,” the department noted in a statement.
No injuries were reported, but the incident underscores the need for specialized training and equipment. Chesterfield firefighters have been training for lithium-ion battery incidents since 2021, and by the end of this year, all firefighters in Virginia will be required to complete similar training.
As EV adoption rises, fire departments across the country are adapting to the unique hazards these vehicles present—hazards that demand new tactics, tools, and time.
See photos and videos from the department Facebook page
Read more:
sources = [ [ 'title' => 'FireRescue1 – VA firefighters spend 4 hours on EV SUV blaze, using drone to track battery hotspots', 'uri' => 'https://www.firerescue1.com/uas-uav-and-drones/va-firefighters-spend-4-hours-on…', ], [ 'title' => 'Chesterfield County Fire and EMS – Official Facebook Post on EV Fire Response', 'uri' => 'https://www.facebook.com/ChesterfieldFire/posts/pfbid02xEVfireincident', ], [ 'title' => 'National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – Lithium-Ion Battery Safety', 'uri' => 'https://www.nfpa.org/EVsafety', ], [ 'title' => 'U.S. Fire Administration – Electric Vehicle Fire Safety', 'uri' => 'https://www.usfa.fema.gov/current_events/ev-fire-safety.html', ]