Officials in Florida have warned of the fire danger posed by electric vehicles (EVs) that are inundated by floodwaters as Hurricane Milton began its assault on the Sunshine State on Oct. 9.
“You can put your electric vehicles up high,” Castor said in the press conference. “Make sure you are elevating all those electric batteries and electric items as well because those batteries—once they start on fire—they cannot be extinguished.”
She added that some houses were lost during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago to fires sparked by saltwater flooding electric vehicles.
“During Hurricane Helene, at least two house fires were caused by electric vehicle batteries that came in contact with floodwater,” the city added in a notice to residents on Wednesday.
Tampa’s warning to its residents is an example of broader concerns of EV-related flood and fire risk, as Florida CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis on Monday called on EV manufacturers to take steps to protect lives during Hurricane Milton.
Patronis said if residents have one of these vehicles, scooters, hoverboards, golf carts or children’s toys that have been compromised by flooding, they should be unplugged and moved safely away from homes and apartments into open spaces.
“If a vehicle needs to be towed, contact a reputable tow company in your area to safely remove it from your property,” he added. “EVs and lithium-battery powered devices cannot be disposed of in a typical car lot or trash bin, so you will also want to contact your local government on the best locations for safe disposal.”
He also issued a plea to EV manufacturers in the United States to be proactive in notifying their customers of such risks.
“As I’ve stated before, these compromised vehicles and devices are ticking time bombs, and my office will continue to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials to ensure consumers and first responders are aware of these fire hazards following Hurricane Milton,” Patronis added. “After the storm, if you do have an EV that has been flooded by saltwater and it remains in your garage or near your home, please remove it immediately to a safe location so that you can worry about fixing your home, instead of rebuilding it due to fire.”
The fire marshal says to ensure safety, keep all windows and doors open to allow any flammable gasses to vent from the vehicle’s passenger compartment.
Other tips include, if stored indoors, moving the vehicle outside if possible; otherwise, keeping the area well-ventilated.
Do not charge the vehicle, and disable it by chocking the wheels, placing the gearshift in park and disconnecting the ignition key or 12V battery.
“As those batteries corrode, fires start,” he said at the time. “That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before. At least on this kind of scale.”
