Extreme chain reaction

“Up to 800 degrees are reached in the battery cell”

The Carinthian fire department has already been called out twice this summer - due to burning e-boats!(Bild: zVg)

Summer on Lake Wörthersee - what means sunshine and time to relax for some, means danger to life and hectic operations for others. Within just a few days, incidents involving e-boats that suddenly burst into flames have become clear: Battery fires are also difficult to extinguish on the water.

First things first: compared to the prevalence of lithium-ion batteries in e-mobility and cell phones, dangerous fires occur relatively rarely. Nevertheless, emergency services in particular need to be perfectly prepared. This was demonstrated by two dangerous cases at Lake Wörthersee (see video).

"Our firefighters regularly undergo training on how to deal with battery fires," explains Wolfgang Germ, deputy commander of the Klagenfurt professional fire department, in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

The boat in Velden was ablaze.(Bild: zVg)

At first, only a column of smoke could be seen.(Bild: zVg)

"It's difficult to pull the boat out of the water when it's burning"
Boat fires, such as the spectacular incident in Velden (see photos above), are a very special challenge for the fire department - the boat often burns to the ground. "If batteries suffer mechanical damage, a short circuit can lead to a chain reaction," Germ explains.

Germ knows that this can be dangerous for the emergency services: "Temperatures of up to 800 degrees can be reached in the cell. And the boat can be difficult to pull out of the water and extinguish on land. Fortunately, it rarely happens, even though there are now so many electric boats."

This boathouse fire near Maiernigg was probably caused by an electric boat.(Bild: zVg)

The flames from the burning boat spread to the lake house.(Bild: zvg)

Although there are other methods, a lot of water is used to extinguish the fire. "That is still the most efficient." But: "Even after extinguishing, it can always burn again!" says Germ. And because such a fire can start again and again, this requires special measures: "Burning electric cars should actually be submerged in a water bath for 24 hours," explains Germ.

"Even after accidents, they would have to be parked in isolation for that long." However, the water bath raises the question of who is responsible for what damage.

Danger from escaping gases
Lithium-ion batteries are also widely used elsewhere, whether in cell phones, tablets, laptops or e-bikes. Caution is therefore always advisable, especially when dents form. "In general, mechanical damage can lead to a chain reaction."

How to react correctly in the event of a battery fire
"This leads to outgassing: First white gases like a white disco fog come out, then black smoke fumes. If this happens, don't breathe in, leave the room, lock up and call the fire department immediately," advises Germ. "These are toxic gases that are also very flammable - the emergency services usually only use respiratory protection."