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It can also be extremely dangerous to stay in a closed space i.e. underground parking if you don't have a way to turn off the fire. Most people don't die of fir
by rjzzleep 5y ago
It can also be extremely dangerous to stay in a closed space i.e. underground parking if you don't have a way to turn off the fire. Most people don't die of fire in fires, they die of less than a minute of breathing in toxic fumes. To tell a volunteer to risk his life to watch a fire burn he can't turn off is a very privileged position to be in.
- adrianN 5y agoFirefighters tend to have respirators when they fight fires. It's not like things other than EVs don't release copious amounts of toxic fumes when they burn. ICEs are really not much better in that regard.
- abalone 5y agoThe difference is not the toxicity of the fumes, it’s the duration of the fire. A respirator will not fully protect you from a seven hour underground fire.
- adrianN 5y agoIn an EV fire, you have an initial fire that burns hot and releases lots of fumes (a large part from all the other crap in the car combusting), and then you have a very long period where you have to dump water on the battery to keep the internal oxidation under control by cooling it. The later part is much less dangerous for the fire fighters.
- abalone 5y agoThis actually reinforces my point. The first part releases “lots of fumes” into a poorly ventilated underground space, which then requires firefighters to remain for “a very long period.” Your claim that the later part is less dangerous assumes that fumes have dissipated.
- stickfigure 5y agoIn addition to SCBAs, firefighters come equipped with ventilation equipment. Source: am firefighter