When electric vehicles experience a thermal event in the battery resulting in a fire, extinguishing them can pose significant challenges. However, a recent fire involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E in Gdańsk, Poland, presents an interesting case. Authorities reported that they successfully managed to extinguish the blaze and even salvage a considerable portion of the vehicle within a span of just a few hours.
Indeed, some EV fires can remain a concern for an extended period of time, as they have the potential to reignite even days after being initially extinguished, as we’ve witnessed many times in the past. These fires can be particularly volatile, and battery-related incidents tend to be highly intense and challenging to extinguish. Often, by the time the fire is finally under control, the vehicle has sustained significant damage or is completely destroyed.
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A video depicting the Mustang Mach-E after the incident (see below) reveals that the fire damage was significantly minimized. In order to prevent the fire from engulfing the electric Ford, firefighters elevated one side of the SUV and continuously directed water onto the battery pack.
As pointed out in a response within the main thread of a tweet from the firefighters, which was noticed by TireMeetsRoad, the emergency crews were able to successfully mitigate the thermal threat within a total timeframe of two hours. A spokesperson from KM PSP in Gdańsk reportedly confirmed that the interior of the vehicle remained unaffected by the blaze. It’s not hard to see why either as crews were on the scene almost immediately after the fire broke out.
A separate video shows firefighters spraying water under the car moments after the fire kicks off. Sources say that instead of submerging the car it’ll be monitored in a parking lot while the battery temperature is controlled. That should prevent it from sparking off again.
According to a report from the Polish news site Trojmiasto, this recent incident marks only the second recorded electric vehicle fire in Poland’s history. The previous case involved a Mercedes in the city of Pomerania, which took crews more than 21 hours to completely extinguish. Is it possible that Ford could fix this Mach-E? It certainly looks like it’s in OK shape. Either way, it does seem as though early intervention is a major piece of the puzzle.