Lithium Fires vs. Normal Fires: What's the Difference and Why are Lithium Fires So Much More Dangerous?
The increasing number of EVs in Indonesia brings with it the risk of a new type of fire that cannot be extinguished with a regular fire extinguisher, unlike fires in gasoline cars.
Written by Fiory
8/26/20251 min read
FAST Friends,
Why are lithium fires in EVs different from ICE car fires that use gasoline/BBM? There's a fundamental difference in the combustion characteristics between an ICE car and an EV. While statistically, ICE cars catch fire more often, fires in EVs are much harder to extinguish and are more dangerous.
Source of Fire and Combustion Process
ICE Cars: Fires are typically caused by highly flammable liquid fuels like gasoline or diesel, as well as leaking oil and other fluids. These fires require external oxygen to continue burning.
EV Cars: Fires originate from the lithium-ion battery. When a battery is damaged, a chain chemical reaction called thermal runaway occurs. This process generates extreme heat and flammable gases (like methane and hydrogen) internally, without needing external oxygen.
Intensity and Temperature
ICE Cars: Fire temperatures are usually lower, averaging around 800°C.
EV Cars: Fires from batteries can reach much higher temperatures, even up to 1,600°C.
Difficulty of Extinguishment
ICE Cars: Fires can be extinguished conventionally by removing one of the "fire triangle" elements (heat, fuel, and oxygen). Foam or water fire extinguishers are generally effective.
EV Cars: Since the fire stems from an internal chemical reaction within the battery, it's much harder to extinguish. A large amount of water is needed, not to put out the flame, but to cool the battery and stop the thermal runaway process. Even after the fire appears to be out, the battery can reignite hours or even days later due to trapped heat.
Toxic Gases
ICE Cars: Fires produce thick black smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) gas.
EV Cars: Battery fires release toxic and corrosive gases, such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), which are very dangerous for firefighters and the surrounding environment, and can even cause damage to building structures if the EV is in a basement parking garage.
Due to these unique characteristics, handling electric car fires requires special protocols, including the use of specific fire extinguishing equipment and intensive cooling methods to prevent re-ignition.