Burned EVs pose new challenges in Los Angeles fire cleanup
Burned electric cars are complicating the efforts of crews cleaning up Los Angeles after the massive fires. Toxins from lithium-ion batteries require specialized equipment to extinguish. Damages caused by the disaster have reached $40 billion, according to Bloomberg.
The cleanup of Los Angeles continues after the devastating fires that broke out on January 7. The work of the crews is complicated due to the leakage of toxins from burned electric cars, hybrids, and home battery storage systems.
Jacqui Irwin, a member of the California State Assembly, emphasized that many cars in the evacuation area had lithium batteries. “We heard from firefighters that these lithium batteries burned much longer near homes,” she explained in an interview with Bloomberg.
According to insurance agency estimates, losses have reached $40 billion. BlackRock Inc. CEO Larry Fink warned that the city's rebuilding could take time. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $100 million for fire recovery efforts.
Problems with batteries
Bloomberg, based on S&P Global Mobility data, reports that as of October last year, there were over 431,000 Teslas registered in the Los Angeles area. Their market share was three times larger than in the rest of the country. In September, Tesla's Model Y was the best-selling car in California.
The media emphasize that it takes significantly more water to extinguish a lithium-ion battery than a conventional vehicle fire. Manufacturers are reportedly publishing guides for rescue services, detailing how to respond in case of a fire.
Governor Gavin Newsom also assessed this week that California “is still adapting to newer technologies” such as lithium-ion batteries. Bloomberg reminds us that in 2023, Newsom signed an executive order requiring all vehicles sold in California to be zero-emissions by 2035.
A firefighter from San Diego, Robert Rezende, a specialist in lithium battery hazards who will assist in the cleanup, said protocols developed during the 2023 Maui fires will be used in Los Angeles. “But the scale of this event and the threats are much greater,” Bloomberg reports.
After the Maui island fires in Hawaii, over 30 tons of lithium batteries from 1,400 properties were sent for recycling. Now, the scale will be much larger.
Many residents still can't return to their homes, even if they survived the disaster partially. Crews are informing residents that debris cleanup may be dangerous due to the presence of mercury or asbestos.
