A recent EV fire in an underground car park of an apartment complex in South Korea serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers associated with electric vehicles (EVs) in residential buildings. The rapid spread of the fire and toxic smoke, originating from a parked Mercedes-Benz EQE, underscores the heightened risks associated with EVs in enclosed spaces.
The severity of the incident is underscored by the fact that firefighters took over eight hours to extinguish the blaze. Approximately 70 vehicles within the underground car park sustained damage from the EV fire. Most alarmingly, the incident resulted in smoke inhalation for 20 residents, including children, highlighting the potential health risks associated with such fires.
The Risks of an EV Fire in an Underground Car Park
The unique challenges posed by an underground car park in conjunction with the increasing prevalence of EVs have created a complex fire safety scenario. These structures, often characterised by poor ventilation and limited escape routes, can amplify the dangers of a fire. Moreover, the specific characteristics of EV batteries, such as their propensity for thermal runaway and the challenges involved in extinguishing such fires, further exacerbate the risks.
Safety Considerations for Strata Communities
For strata corporations with underground car parks, this incident should serve as a catalyst for reviewing safety measures. Key considerations include:
- EV Charging Infrastructure: If your building offers EV charging, ensure it adheres to the latest safety standards and is regularly inspected.
- Fire Safety Equipment: Verify that the building’s fire safety equipment, including sprinklers, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers, is adequate and regularly maintained.
- Emergency Procedures: Develop and communicate clear emergency procedures for residents in the event of a fire in the car park.
- Resident Education: Educate residents about the potential risks of EV fires and the importance of following safe charging practices.
- Insurance Coverage: Review the strata corporation’s insurance policy to ensure it adequately covers damages caused by EV fires.
It’s important to note that EV fires are still relatively rare compared to traditional petrol-powered vehicles. However, the potential consequences when they do occur demand a proactive and comprehensive approach to safety. While the transition to electric vehicles offers numerous benefits, it is essential for strata corporations to be proactive in managing the associated risks. Strata committees should consider long-term strategies to mitigate risks. This may involve exploring alternative parking options, such as dedicated EV charging areas with enhanced safety features, or advocating for stricter regulations on EV battery safety.
The investigation into the cause of the South Korean fire is ongoing, and further information may emerge about the specific factors that contributed to the incident. By proactively addressing the challenges posed by EV fires in underground car parks, strata communities can significantly enhance the safety and well-being of their residents.
Article author:
The Lookupstrata Team
This post appears in Strata News #707.
Have a question or something to add to the article? Leave a comment below.
Read next:
- NAT: Risks to strata owners from lithium-ion battery fires
- Officials ban fully-charged electric cars in underground parks in one city due to fire concerns
- NSW: Strata Crisis Management: Be Ready When the Unexpected Strikes
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The information in this report is lacking data .
The fires in multi story carparks in Jacksonville Liverpool and Cork to name a few were caused by ICE vehicles.
The report into the Liverpool fire (1400 cars lost) highlights it is not EVs we should be worried about, but diesels and the design of the carpark.
Its key points apply to many older carparks.
1/Modern cars have larger fuel tanks
2/Fuel tanks are plastic
3/ modern cars have higher % of plastics and composites
4/ diesel vehicles dump fuel which does not explode onsite but flows in a flaming river, rapidly spreading the fire
5/ plastic rainwater pipes are compromised and spread the flaming fuel to lower floors.
In respect to the sense that EVs create increase risk, this is not proven by two independent studies conducted into EV fires onboard ships.
Both the LASH report and ELBAS state in the enclosed environment of a ferry or car transporter the fuel load of an ice and EV is similar.
Whilst it is a fact that a ICE fire can be extinguished this is a moot point if access to the seat of the fire is prevented by an enclosed environment.
Whilst some EV fires self extinguish those that do not continue burn until either lowering of temperature or exhaustion of the flammable electrolyte. The difficulty in applying water yo the very well sealed battery pack is well known and until recently is a cause of frustration to firefighters and anxiousness to the public. The mindset in training provided by Australian researchers at EVfiresafe is that the achievable and primary goal in fighting a BEV fire is to contain the spread of fire. An overhead sprinkler provides such containment.
Alternatively standard nozzles can also be used with crews wearing BA..
This practice is confirmed by LASH and ELBAS testing.
The question is, should diesels with plastic fuel tanks be banned from multi story car parks?
In summary:,
1/ ELBAS and LASH concur that the fuel load of a ICE and EV are similar.
2/ Diesel fire has potential to spread rapidly
3/ EV fires will take longer to control.
4/ the incident rate of EV fires per 100,000 vehicles is far lower than ICE.
5/ Report into Liverpool fire highlights modern vehicles be they ice or EVs, in car parks with plastic rainwater pipes and with no sprinklers can combine, in the rarest of circumstances, to create a catastrophic fire event.
While EV fires are less frequent overall than fires in ICE vehicles, they can be more severe and challenging to manage in a domestic dwelling:
Temperature: EV battery fires can reach over 1,200°F (650°C), sometimes up to 2,760°C in extreme cases, compared to ICE fires, which typically peak around 600°F (315°C). This intensity poses a greater risk of structural damage to a home.
Extinguishing Difficulty: EV fires often involve thermal runaway, requiring large amounts of water (up to 2,500 gallons or more) to cool the battery, compared to 500–1,100 gallons for an ICE fire. In a residential setting, this could overwhelm household resources or delay firefighter response.
Toxic Emissions: EV fires release hazardous gases like hydrogen fluoride and methane, which can accumulate in enclosed spaces like garages, posing health risks. ICE fires primarily produce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, which are also dangerous but more familiar to emergency responders.
ICE fires, while more common, tend to burn out faster once the fuel source is consumed, potentially limiting damage in a dwelling if contained early. EV fires, however, can reignite hours or days later due to battery chemistry, increasing the risk of prolonged damage or secondary fires in a home.
Most fires in vehicles occur during “refuelling”, this is true for both ICE and EVs. Nobody in their right mind refuels an ICE vehicle in an underground carpark of an apartment complex. This sort of irresponsibility appears to be the exclusive domain of EV/LEV owners.
The peak temperature is moot as the bodywork and interior is well ablaze by then and the flame height is greater than the jet of fire in battery out gassing.
What is relevant is the unknown. number of ice fires which are thwarted by use of a portable extinguisher and so not registered. There is no intervention a driver can take to stop a ev fire, moving the vehicle away from structure is all we can do if the onset is observed soon enough.
In Australia there has been zero cases as far as I’m aware of a battery pack within the car cooking off without either being subjected to direct physical damage to the pack, arson or as a result of being engulfed in a serious nearby fire.
There was one case where the battery was removed and improperly stored in the elements .
Have a look at the real statistics as opposed to what the press is reporting. The vast majority of vehicle fires involve ICE vehicles, primarily due to fuel-related issues, mechanical failures, or accidents. On the other hand electric bike and scooter batteries are not subject to the same high levels of manufacturing quality control as compared to EV batteries. Electric bikes and scooters should not be charged inside buildings – common property or otherwise unless they are contained within fire proof containers.
Hi Pete
We agree. We discussed this with Daniel O’Dea from Fire and Rescue NSW in our recent National webinar: Risks of e-bikes and e-scooters to strata owners.