Charlottesville firefighters learning better ways to deal with electric vehicle fires

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Starting 2024, Virginia firefighters will be required to complete training on electric vehicle fires.

The Charlottesville Fire Department says it is already ahead of the game.

“They’re a lot like any other traditional vehicle fires,” CFD Deputy Chief Scott Carpenter said. “We just have the added element of the battery and the hazards that they contain.”

Carpenter adds, “Most of the issues that we have with electric vehicle fires is the batteries are isolated, and they’re kind of hard to get to.”

He says electric vehicle fires aren’t common in Charlottesville right now.

Training at the Charlottesville Fire Department go underway earlier this month, and will continue once more equipment arrives.

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