smothering lithium ion battery fires doesn't work: the reaction is self-sustaining and will continue to generate heat even without oxygen (I've seen this happen

smothering lithium ion battery fires doesn't work: the reaction is self-sustaining and will continue to generate heat even without oxygen (I've seen this happen: the effect is similar to trick birthday cake candles where the flames may die down but reignite again). Water is actually one of the better options, because it removes heat from the system.