Multiple crews tackle electric vehicle fire in Douglas County

DENVER (KDVR) — An electric vehicle fire on South Parker Road required multiple agencies to put out the fire, according to social media posts from several agencies.

As of 11:30 a.m., South Metro firefighters reported both directions of the roadway were closed due to the fire, which was reported between North Pinery Parkway and South Pinery Parkway.

The flames reportedly spread to nearby grass, but crews were able to contain them. The Douglas County Sheriff reported at 12:30 p.m. that the fire had been extinguished.

Around 12:45 p.m., South Metro Fire Rescue firefighters reported that one northbound lane had been reopened to traffic, but crews were still working to tow the electric vehicle to a safe location and reopen the southbound lanes.

According to social media posts, Franktown Fire, the Douglas County Sheriff, the Parker Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol and South Metro Fire Rescue were at the scene of the electric vehicle fire.

No injuries were reported in the fire, but agencies asked drivers to find alternate routes.

According to Thompson Safety, a company that provides safety solutions to businesses near Houston, electric vehicle fires present a lot of danger to crews working to put out the fire due to the presence of a lithium-ion battery, which is usually the one that catches fire. The batteries are “susceptible to reignition,” according to the company, because lithium has a high flash point that must be “cooled to a sub-ignition temperature.”

Using a regular Class D fire extinguisher to put out a lithium-ion fire isn't the best idea either; According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, lithium-ion battery fires can be extinguished by a large volume of water to extinguish the flames and cool the battery.

South Metro Fire Rescue's hazardous materials team used an electric vehicle fire blanket to smother the fire, removing access to the oxygen that was fueling the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.