Electric Vehicle Battery Failure Causes Rhode Island Auto Shop Fire

An electric vehicle battery failure was the cause of a recent auto shop fire in Providence, Rhode Island, reports WPRI.

On March 20, crews were called to Batista Auto Repair Center on Warrington Street at approximately 8:35 p.m. Firefighters had to force their way through the shop’s main entrance, cutting open a wall and window to get inside. According to investigators, the process was made more difficult by obstacles including a mobile trailer and debris in the way.

Four vehicles were inside, one of them being a 2025 GMC Hummer EV that was destroyed, and later towed from the scene to mitigate risk of reignition and for investigation. All four of the vehicle’s tires and suspension failed, bringing it up against the ground and making it impossible for investigators to view the vehicle’s battery.

According to one of the technicians at the shop, the EV had been there for around a month for front-end damage. It was not connected to any chargers, and the technician said no one had been working on it when the fire started. However, the owner of the vehicle had been told by technicians that there was a “strange smell” coming from the car. The owner, who lives next door, had been doing repair work himself on the car, and had tried to disconnect the battery just before flames broke out, after which he ran away.

Although there was sprinkler piping in the shop, investigators found no evidence it had been activated. Additionally, they found that most breakers were tripped at the time, and none were labeled. The building’s electrical system was heavily damaged from the fire, along with its main garage door and rear skylight. Multiple toolboxes, equipment, and machinery were lost as well.

Investigators determined the fire to be accidental, stating that it started from underneath and caused by a high-voltage battery failure that led to a thermal runaway of lithium-ion battery cells.