Electric Vehicles and Indoor Parking: Have You Thought About It?

The fire risk associated with the thermal runaway of a damaged lithium-ion battery is now a well-known reality. Although these spectacular events are widely documented, the major challenge of controlling this type of fire still appears to be underestimated by some property owners. As is often the case, the saying “it only happens to others” unfortunately seems to apply here.

When electric vehicle owners choose to ignore this risk, the potential consequences for their health and property largely fall under their responsibility (and that of their insurers).

But what about public spaces?

Shopping malls, office buildings, condominium complexes, airports, and other infrastructures that welcome a growing number of electric vehicle owners generally allow these vehicles in their indoor parking facilities. In many cases, charging stations have even been installed—often without thorough consideration of the possible consequences in the event of a fire.

Admittedly, gasoline-powered vehicles also present a fire risk. However, this risk is well understood and response scenarios are well established. In most cases, it is reasonable to expect that automatic sprinkler systems or firefighter intervention will be able to control a fire involving a gasoline vehicle.

The situation is very different for electric vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Despite general firefighting knowledge, there is still no proven, effective, and safe method to control the thermal runaway of this type of battery.

So what do you do when an electric vehicle catches fire in an underground parking garage?

Call the fire department?

• Can we simply hope that automatic sprinklers will be enough? Their ineffectiveness in this context is widely documented. Their role is generally limited to cooling building components—when the heat from the fire does not cause the water to vaporize immediately.
• Underground parking garages are usually sparsely occupied. In the absence of immediate danger to human life, firefighters will not put their safety at risk solely to limit property damage.
• Call a towing service? A tow truck operator will be unlikely to risk their life to move a burning vehicle in a smoke-filled environment with near-zero visibility and difficult navigation.

Ignoring this issue means accepting a major blind spot in the energy transition. Until a truly effective and safe solution becomes available to control lithium-ion battery fires, the options will remain limited and complex. Since banning electric vehicles from underground parking facilities is likely the last option property owners would consider, it becomes essential to anticipate rather than endure.

In the absence of other solutions, it is strongly recommended to develop an emergency plan in collaboration with fire services, the site’s management and security team, and a contracted towing service. This plan should include:

• Identifying safe zones where a burning electric vehicle can be relocated in order to let it burn out completely. The roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder must be clearly defined and documented, including, for example, designating a security officer responsible for coordinating evacuation and operations.
• Involving a trained, specialized towing company available at all times to respond during thermal runaway incidents.
• Providing ceramic or fiberglass fire blankets. Although their effectiveness is limited, they can help contain flames and reduce exposure to radiant heat during early response efforts. Relevant personnel must be trained in their use.
• Conducting drills and simulations to test the plan, validate procedures, and ensure effective coordination among all parties involved.
• Clearly marking unobstructed lanes in underground parking areas to facilitate the safe extraction of vehicles, even in emergency situations.
  Such a protocol should be officially integrated into the site’s emergency response plan and reviewed annually, or following any incident involving an electric vehicle fire.

Otherwise, letting an electric vehicle burn in an underground parking facility can cause not only significant thermal damage, but also major smoke damage to upper floors. The absence of an adequate response protocol can have serious consequences for the operation of the parking facility and, most importantly, for the safety of customers, users, and residents.

Raising this issue is not intended to call electric vehicles into question, but rather to remind us of an obvious truth: any technological evolution must be accompanied by an adaptation of existing prevention and control measures.