The discussion around electric vehicle fires often focuses on how rare they are. While the number of incidents is still relatively low, this overlooks an important aspect: EV fires are particularly dangerous, and traditional extinguishing methods are not sufficient to handle them.
For comparison – chemical fires are also rare, yet their risks are not underestimated. EV fires belong in the same risk category.
It is essential to move from a purely probability-driven assessment toward a more comprehensive analysis of fire safety.
Rarity Does Not Mean Low Risk
It is true that EV fires occur less frequently than those in vehicles with combustion engines, but they are many times harder and more dangerous to extinguish.
"Multiple accident investigations have made it clear that emergency responders no longer face just isolated 'car fires,' but increasingly complex and expanding multi-vehicle fires", says Martin Lown BEM, who has 30 years of experience in the UK fire service as both a firefighter and vehicle fire expert.
Moreover, the rapid growth of electric and hybrid vehicles increases the need for charging infrastructure – and with it, the risk of fires. These are not just potential risks but likely future scenarios that demand proactive preparedness.
Today’s vehicles have also changed:
- "Modern vehicles are generally larger and comprise more ‘fuel’, from the materials used within them (especially more thermoplastics) to the fuels that they contain, such as petrol, diesel, batteries or gasses, explains Lown BEM (Martin and fire investigation dog "Hygge" in the photo).
EV Battery Fires – A Growing Safety Challenge
We remember the parking garage fire in Madrid in the spring of 2025, where firefighters lost their lives during the operation. The fire may not have started in an EV, but one was involved in the incident. This highlights a key point: the fire does not have to start in the electric vehicle itself – its mere involvement can lead to devastating consequences.
Battery fires in electric vehicles are especially dangerous. We have seen how difficult they are to extinguish when the battery goes into so-called thermal runaway. Such fires release toxic gases that can cause severe lung and airway damage, unconsciousness, burns, and even death. For rescue personnel, the situation is extremely challenging.
Lown BEM confirms:
"Whilst ceiling mounted sprinklers do contribute to limiting fire spread in zones, the heat and flames from an EV battery fire are concentrated underneath the vehicle where the water from sprinklers can’t reach to absorb heat – cars are designed to shed water from their roof and body!"
New Research Highlights the Need for Updated Firefighting Strategies
The UL Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) published new research on EV fires on October 3, 2025. The report underlines the need to update existing firefighting and protection strategies to better address the real heat loads and development risks of EV fires. Similar recommendations from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) emphasize the importance of continuously reviewing and updating fire protection strategies, procedures, and response methods for electric vehicles based on the latest research and incident data (MSB, 2024; MSB, 2025a; MSB, 2025b).
Even though direct legislation is not yet in place everywhere, best practices, EU guidelines, and national regulations clearly indicate that charging systems in enclosed parking facilities should be equipped with fire-safe solutions – such as automatic extinguishing systems.
“As electric vehicles become more common, society must also prepare for new fire and safety risks. Traditional extinguishing methods are no longer enough – solutions that act quickly, automatically, and from the ground up, such as EV FirePro, are needed. It’s not only about equipment, but about readiness: a society’s safety level is measured by how well we anticipate and prevent the worst scenarios before they happen,” says Tommi Holappa, CEO of SpiderFire.
EV FirePro – An Innovative Fire Suppression Solution
EV FirePro was developed to meet the need for a safe, efficient, and reliable solution for battery fires in electric vehicles. It is the world’s first floor-mounted system designed to control battery fires in enclosed parking facilities.
EV FirePro delivers a precisely targeted water spray to the battery pack, effectively suppressing and controlling fires at an early stage. The system activates automatically at 68 °C, containing the fire to the affected vehicle and protecting adjacent vehicles and structures.
The system is installed directly into the parking garage floor without major structural modifications and consists of 21 stainless-steel nozzles covering the vehicle’s underside. It can be integrated with the building’s fire alarm and remotely operated by the fire service.
In the picture: EV FirePro – a floor-mounted fire suppression system for electric vehicle battery fires.
References
FSRI, 2025: UL Fire Safety Research Institute, “New Research on Electric Vehicle Fires,” 3 oktober 2025.
MSB, 2024: Guidelines for Extinguishing Fires in Electric Vehicles, June 19, 2024.
MSB, 2025a: Guidelines for Safe Charging of Electric Vehicles, June 3, 2025.
MSB, 2025b: Compilation of Fires in Electric Vehicles, May 19, 2025.
EV FirePro Fire Test in Madrid (February 2025)
In the fire test, no spread to other vehicles was observed. The temperature around the car remained below 60 °C, and the ceiling temperature stayed under 250 °C. Heat flux was below 2.5 kW/m² – not enough to sustain a fire. The cabin temperature remained under 60 °C, well below the level that could enable fire spread inside the vehicle.
Learn more about EV FirePro.
For more information:
Riina Aikio, COO
Email: riina@spiderfire.se
Tel: +46 (0) 73 319 06 14
Tommi Holappa, VD
Email: tommi.holappa@spiderfire.se
Tel: +46 (0) 70 843 94 48
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Burns longer and more intense – time to take EV fires seriously