Fire Officials Urge Caution Following Hybrid Vehicle Battery Fire in Pennsylvania

Officials in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, are warning the public to practice caution around lithium-ion batteries following an explosion and fire at an auto repair shop, reports WPXI.

On the night of Sept. 17, Pittsburgh fire crews were called to a shop in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, after a hybrid vehicle caught on fire and exploded.

lithium-ion battery fires are especially difficult to contain, as they require a specialized response. Batteries must be isolated by firefighters and contained in steel bins filled with beads that absorb heat.

The process can be intensive with just one lithium-ion battery—but hybrid vehicles like the one that caught fire contain multiple batteries, making it even more dangerous.

It isn’t always a charging issue that causes fires, either. They can be prompted by corrosion from weather, mechanical issues, or manufacturing defects—but, as noted by Brian Kokkila, assistant chief of operations for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, lithium-ion batteries can sometimes fail with no apparent cause.

“You have to always be prepared that a lithium-ion battery could fail on its own for no reason,” said Kokkila.

But there are preventative measures that can help avoid batteries failing. Emergency responders recommend never leaving lithium-ion batteries unattended while charging, to use the original manufacturer’s charger rather than a generic one, and to store batteries in a temperature-controlled room.