Emergency crews more than prepared to battle vehicle fires
May 7—Drivers often are prepared for typical road hazards when getting behind the wheel but a vehicle bursting into flames isn't something most are equipped to handle despite it not being an uncommon occurrence.
From 2014 to 2016, there were more than 170,000 highway vehicle fires annually in the United States, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
St. Joseph fire inspector Steve Henrichson said there are common themes in how car fires start.
"Most of them are higher-mileage vehicles, they've got oil leaks, things like that," Henrichson said.
Some of the other common problems that could lead to these fires include the vehicle's air conditioning freezing up and alternator issues.
When these fires occur, there are obstacles for firefighters to deal with, Henrichson said.
"The tires are going to pop, the fluids of a tank ruptures ... it can move a lot faster than it would in a structure fire and a little less contained," he said. "There's also so many different chemicals in the smoke that you want to stay away from."
These fires require extra hands in stopping the blaze. A second fire truck is usually called to the scene to add another 500 gallons of water in case the first truck runs out.
"We've added a second truck so we have enough water to make sure we get it put out the first time, especially with the new electrical cars and things like that," Henrichson said.
Extra crew members also are there to do whatever it takes to stop metals such as magnesium from burning.
"To put them out, you've really got it almost permanent dunk tank (of water) to put them out," Henrichson said. "You can't just spray water on it, they don't like getting wet."
Having vehicles of any kind serviced will go a long way in preventing car fires.
"Having it checked by somebody that you trust, whether it's somebody that's a mechanic in your family that you know or taking it into a service station and just make sure that it's not leaking oil or there are issues with the exhaust," Henrichson said. "This is a situation where it can happen at any time."
Riley Funk can be reached at riley.funk@newspressnow.com.
