Luton Airport Car Park 2 Fire

[M1tch]

I'd like to see a risk assessment for a new multi-strey car park and how it addresses the possibility of vehicle fires and preventing the spread. These fires are quite rare and maybe the relatively low risk to life means they don't/won't cost in an effective fire-suppression system?

But, because we live in a world where the media spread lies and fear at will, there will likely be an over reaction to this and EVs banned from multi storey car parks, under ground car parks and many other locations.

Or, more likely, to fit with the worlds single track mind of making money over anything else, a higher fee for parking EVs, or a tax in some locations, and a “safety tax” on the channel tunnel, ferries etc etc. it’s all coming, it’s just when……

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Government advice on covered carparks is already available

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1168956/covered-car-parks-fire-safety-guidance-for-electric-vehicles.pdf

A quick skim read suggests that EVs being the cause of the fire is low, but a mixed economoy of EVs and ICE can be a problem.

 

[MrBadger]

Imagine it was a car ferry…. Regardless of how it started. It’s extremely bad once EVs are in the mix.

Is is not possible that EV's, with less to externally ignite, may even act as a fire break? Pictuire on here recently of a Tesla that someone torched and the car did not burn significantly. Just the bit that got torched iirc.

 

[M1tch]

my dad just FaceTimed to tell me an EV has burnt a multi story car park down at Luton! 12000 miles and 10 hour time difference and that was the reason for his call

FML!

 

[Burley]

As there's interest in EV fires and how to contain them, there are some interesting developments in EV fire control tech highlighted here. Maybe the poster who's brother is in the fire service could pass the link on to him...
Jøni equipment for putting out fires in EVs

 

[pdk42]

"Authorities said that the blaze appeared to be accidental and started in one car, believed to be a diesel vehicle. "

Luton airport closed and flights suspended after huge fire in car park

Authorities say blaze appears to be accidental and started in one car, believed to be diesel vehicle

www.theguardian.com

 

[Jason71]

my dad just FaceTimed to tell me an EV has burnt a multi story car park down at Luton! 12000 miles and 10 hour time difference and that was the reason for his call

FML!

"A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on" Mark Twain (maybe)

That has to be the most literal example of this quote I have ever heard

 

[robbieduncan]

If someone wants to start one of those government petitions to ban all ICE/Diesel/Jaguar-Land Rover cars from multi-story car parks I'll sign just for the giggles!

 

[Drew57]

Media talk, conspiracy, rumours or speculation about tightly packed EVs & fire horrors may have an upside for us all. If ICE drivers choose to leave adjacent parking spaces free that suits me just fine - no sentry mode draining the battery & no more door dings or scratches.

 

[davidmc]

Let us all not forget this tragedy in 2018 (Before the Model 3 even appeared on UK shores and EV's started to become a common sight)

Liverpool car park fire: Hundreds of burnt-out vehicles removed

More than 1,000 vehicles were destroyed when the Liverpool car park was engulfed in flames.

www.bbc.co.uk

Spoiler - Land Rover started this one!

 

[Adopado]

Let us all not forget this tragedy in 2018 (Before the Model 3 even appeared on UK shores and EV's started to become a common sight)

Liverpool car park fire: Hundreds of burnt-out vehicles removed

More than 1,000 vehicles were destroyed when the Liverpool car park was engulfed in flames.

www.bbc.co.uk

Spoiler - Land Rover started this one!

But surely there must have been EVs parked next to each other? If you search on Youtube for petrol car fire you just get EV fire videos! It's strange that I've seen plenty of cars burning at the side of the road or the burnt out shells of ones that burned previously ... and so far none have been EVs. It will happen one day ... just as there's a chance your plane to your summer holiday desitnation may crash ... but thankfully it's rare enough not to worry most of us.

The reality is that petrol and diesel cars hold way more energy in their fuel tanks than any EV can hold in its battery ... and that's what is released if they catch fire. They burn more ferociously but for a shorter time ... and are more likely to spread the fire to anything parked nearby.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I suspect something was lost in translation between EV causing the fire and EVs being involved early on if this is indeed a direct quote

 

[Jason71]

I suspect something was lost in translation between EV causing the fire and EVs being involved early on if this is indeed a direct quote

View attachment 981408

Isn't that a bit like reporting on a serial killing by saying "a lot of women were involved"?

 

[ajmorr.is]

Isn't that a bit like reporting on a serial killing by saying "a lot of women were involved"?

Strange analogy, but if the women involved have the potential to make the serial killings hotter and harder to contain then yes.

 

[Adopado]

Isn't that a bit like reporting on a serial killing by saying "a lot of women were involved"?

Parking an EV next to another vehicle is clearly contributory negligence ... you should have expected your EV to be set on fire by the petrol/diesel car adjacent. Claim dismissed.

 

[rincewind]

"A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on" Mark Twain (maybe)

That has to be the most literal example of this quote I have ever heard

I seem to remember seeing this in a few Terry Pratchett novels It's a good quote.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Isn't that a bit like reporting on a serial killing by saying "a lot of women were involved"?

Not necessarily, if the fire brigade react differently and/or the fire was more ferocious as a result of EVs being present

Risk is a function of likelihood and impact. The argument could be getting rid of ice will lower the likelihood. EVs increase the impact, but ordinarily have lower likelihood. It’s a perfect storm when they’re side by side. It’s looks probable that EVs were not the cause it happened, but it may be EVs made it worse once it did. If that’s correct, keeping them apart might be prudent, that’s for those assessing risk

 

[GRiLLA]

Is there really any science to the argument that EVs burn more dangerously than Diesel/Petrol ? From what I've read EV fires are no difference to initially extinguish than any other, they just have a tendency to relight is the battery isn't kept cool for a good while.

We seem to have incorrectly decided that EV fires are more dangerous. Given how many cars were burning it's no surprise that Firefighters didn't go in there.

 

[Jason71]

Strange analogy, but if the women involved have the potential to make the serial killings hotter and harder to contain then yes.

A bit like if there had been less women in the house that the killer broke into then less people would have died and the crime would have been less serious?

 

[Adopado]

Not necessarily, if the fire brigade react differently and/or the fire was more ferocious as a result of EVs being present

EVs don't burn more ferociously. Ferocity meaning the biggest amount of energy released in the shortest time. Petrol and diesel cars burn with much greater ferocity i.e. they release more energy and over a shorter time. EVs can increase the challenge of extinguishing the fire but that's because they burn for longer, and due to their chemistry can supply their own oxygen to maintain the burning.