Can a lithium-ion battery fire be extinguished?

In all circumstances, only suitably trained personnel/emergency-responders should attempt to extinguish early-stage lithium-ion battery fires, when it is safe to do so. As lithium-ion battery fires create their own oxygen during thermal runaway, they are very difficult for fire and rescue services to deal with.

Can a lithium-ion battery catch fire?

It can be very hard to identify how and when a lithium-ion battery may catch fire, but there are some preventative measures to minimise the risk of lithium-ion battery fires: Only use batteries purchased from a reputable manufacturer or supplier.

Can lithium ion batteries be controlled if a fire happens?

Due to lithium-ion batteries generating their own oxygen during thermal runaway, it is worth noting that lithium-ion battery fires or a burning lithium ion battery can be very difficult to control. For this reason, it is worth understanding how lithium-ion fires can be controlled should a fire scenario happen.

Should you let a lithium ion fire burn out?

In fact, you may need to let the fire burn out. That’s due to additional cells rupturing due to fire and heat, releasing flammable vapor. While water or foam may appear to put out fires out quickly, lithium-ion fires can reignite as breached cells are met with oxygen.

How can you extinguish a lithium fire?

Another extinguishing method for lithium fires is aerosol extinguishing technology. This is a permanently operational technical system that is used to suppress the fire until the fire brigade arrives to finally extinguish it. The extinguishing technology operates according to EN 15276-10, without addition of water.

Are lithium-ion batteries dangerous?

With their growing prominence, lithium-ion batteries also carry a fire safety risk that needs to be considered. It is worth noting that the frequency of fire from lithium-ion batteries is actually very low, but the consequences can be significant.