Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is reminding owners of Electric Vehicles (EVs), and other lithium ion powered devices, to relocate their devices away from areas that may be impacted by storm surge.
CFO Patronis said, “We saw a number of fires associated with EVs from Hurricane Ian. We know that the saltwater from storm surge can compromise these batteries, causing fires which cannot be easily suppressed. The best fire teams can do is keep water on the battery until the fuel burns out. If you’re evacuating and leaving an EV, or other lithium ion powered devices like scooters or golf carts in your garage, you’re creating a real fire threat for your home, your communities, and first responders. Take this threat seriously. If there’s even a small risk of your EV being impacted by storm surge, move it to higher ground before it’s too late.”
During the response to Hurricane Ian, CFO Patronis witnessed an EV fire that continued reigniting. According to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, 21 fires were associated with EVs from Hurricane Ian.
Additionally, the CFO issued a letter to U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to take steps to protect first responders.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office has also been coordinating with public and private sector partners to develop best practices and identify ways to mitigate threats posed by fires associated with lithium ion batteries.