Electric Vehicle Erupts in Flames at Colorado Grocery Store Charging Station (Video)

This is a 2 October 2025 published video from South Metro Fire Rescue.

An EV caught fire while charging outside a King Soopers in Littleton, Colorado, on September 28, prompting evacuations as firefighters let the lithium battery blaze burn itself out.

Electric car fires, often caused by lithium-ion battery thermal runaway, are difficult to extinguish due to the risk of re-ignition and the release of hazardous gases. While not more common than gas car fires, they require a long-term strategy for firefighting, including cooling the battery and containing harmful emissions. In the event of an EV fire, the NFPA advises pulling to a safe location, turning off the car, evacuating everyone at least 100 feet away, and calling emergency services.  

Causes and Characteristics

• Thermal Runaway: The primary cause of EV fires is thermal runaway, a chain reaction where a problem in one battery cell spreads to others, generating intense heat. 
• Hazardous Emissions: During an EV  fire, more than 100 chemicals, including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen fluoride, can be released, posing respiratory and other health risks. 
• Re-ignition Risk: Even after the initial flames are put out, the battery can retain significant energy, leading to re-ignition days or even weeks later. 
• Difficulty for Firefighters: Traditional fire suppression methods are often ineffective; copious amounts of water are needed to cool the battery pack, and special fire blankets are used to contain burning vehicles. 

What to Do in Case of an EV Fire 

• Pull Over Safely: If you notice smoke or flames, pull to a safe location off the road.
• Turn Off the Car: Immediately turn off the vehicle to stop its power supply.
• Evacuate Everyone: Get everyone out of the car immediately and move at least 100 feet away from the vehicle.
• Call 9-1-1: Contact your local emergency services.
• Avoid the Area: Do not return to the vehicle for any reason, and stay upwind from the fire.

Important Considerations

Containment: First responders may use fire blankets to contain a fire, but this can also trap flammable gases, increasing the risk of explosion when the blanket is removed. 

Environmental Impact: Crews often allow vehicles to burn to minimize the release of hazardous substances, with protocols for managing the environmental impact. 

https://youtu.be/B15aVZOSd5k

Electric vehicle (EV) fires contaminate firefighter gear with hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals (lead, cobalt, manganese, nickel) and corrosive gases (HF) from lithium-ion batteries, posing significant health risks. Proper decontamination is crucial, involving immediate gross decontamination at the scene, followed by professional advanced cleaning according to NFPA 1851 standards to remove these persistent toxins and reduce cancer risk.  

Chemicals of Concern in EV Fire Contamination

EV fires, particularly those involving lithium-ion batteries, release specific toxins that can adhere to and penetrate firefighting gear: 

Heavy Metals: Combustion of EV batteries releases heavy metals like cobalt, manganese, lithium, nickel, and arsenic, which are linked to increased cancer risk and DNA damage. 

Corrosive Gases: Significant amounts of hydrofluoric acid (HF) are generated during EV battery fires, along with other combustion gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen cyanide. 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Common VOCs such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene can also be present at fire scenes, including those involving EVs. 

Why Gear Contamination is a Serious Risk

Secondary Exposure: Contaminants that adhere to gear can be transferred to firefighters’ skin and be inhaled, leading to long-term health issues. 

Persistence of Chemicals: Some chemicals, especially heavy metals, can remain on or within the gear layers after cleaning. 

Cancer Burden: Firefighters already face a higher risk of certain cancers from fire exposure, and EV-related chemicals exacerbate these concerns. 

Essential Decontamination Procedures

Gross Decontamination at the Scene: After the fire is extinguished, firefighters should perform gross decontamination to remove as much visible soot and debris from their gear as possible before leaving the site. 

Bagging and Isolation: Contaminated gear should be placed in heavy-duty plastic bags and isolated at the station until it can undergo advanced cleaning. 

Advanced Cleaning: For EV fire contamination, the gear should be treated as hazardous and cleaned by an independent service provider using a method approved by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 1851). This often involves applying known contaminants to material samples to verify the cleaning process’s effectiveness. 

Ongoing Research: The fire service continues to research best practices for handling EV fire scenes and the effectiveness of PPE decontamination to improve firefighter safety.