Darley Car Fire Blanket

Note: Full PPE and SCBA are to be worn at all times while deploying and handling any fire blanket exposed to the car. A minimum two-person deployment is needed.

Note: Keep direct contact with the blanket with the car to a minimum, as sharp edges can tear the blanket during deployment.

Note: Make sure the blanket is touching the ground on all sides. Step down on areas where the air may flow from under the blanket (there will always be some air entrained.)

Note: This will help cut off oxygen and make sure that the blanket doesn’t blow off in high winds. Tools or weights can be used to secure the blanket.

Additional Notes: Best practice is also to spray the outside of the blanket with water. If possible, deploy an EV nozzle under the car to assist with cooling. The fire will continue to burn under the blanket. While there is no way to put the fire out, the blanket assists with containment and protection from exposures. By limiting oxygen, the fire will cool down but will not go out until the battery has completely burned out. Follow department SOPs and consult NFPA and other guidelines for handling the EV.

Fire in Electric Cars

Usable in Various Situations Follow steps 1-3. After the fire blanket has been placed tight to the ground, wait 2-3 minutes and listen. You have a thermal runaway if you hear strong fuzz sounds about every 3-15 seconds. Leave the fire blanket on until the sound stops. This is a small fire that goes from cell to cell. The fire blanket will prevent the small fire from spreading elsewhere in the car.

Note: The car fire blanket is not approved for magnesium fires.

As electric vehicles (EV) grow in popularity, the West Bend Fire Department has found a different way to fight potential EV fires. 

"A lot of times when these (gas-powered) cars catch fire, they are going to be in close contact to other things, whether it’s a house, parking garage or a ferry," said Ginger Johnson of Fire Cloak USA.

But Johnson said if the fire involves an electric vehicle, it is a different ballgame.

"We know that lithium ion batteries, when they do go into thermal runaway, meaning that each cell is catching fire one by one, the temperature rises and it creates its own oxygen," Johnson said. 

Ginger Johnson

Johnson said this makes EV fires more difficult to contain. That is there the Fire Blanket comes into play. 

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"We’re trying to encapsulate the whole car to deprive it of oxygen," Johnson said. "To control the collateral damage."

That is the claim from the company. FOX6 News wanted to see the Fire Blanket in action. 

"When we did it a couple times you could really feel the heat when we had to lift it up by the door," said Austin Brewer, firefighter & paramedic for West Bend Fire Department.

Brewer put the tool to the test on Tuesday. 

"If we lift up that blanket or we have any bit of oxygen get swooped up underneath, that’s going to cause the fire to be larger and more heat for us," Brewer said. 

But over time, Brewer said the blanket dropped the temperature of the fire. 

"You could feel the heat, but it was nowhere near if you’re next to an open fire," Brewer said. 

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But Brewer said it only works with lots of practice. 

"It’s important that you deploy it right the first time," Brewer said. 

The Fire Blankets are a one-time use only. Each weighs about 55 pounds.