Home fires escalate faster and are more intense when home batteries are present, new research from the NIPV shows. And an uncontrolled chain reaction occurs, making the fires difficult to predict. That's why firefighters should also be able to call on installers.
Home batteries, will play an increasing role in homes in the near future. And so firefighters are also increasingly having to deal with them when fighting home fires. That's why hhe NIPV how incidents involving home batteries can develop and what firefighters should do specifically in the process.
Unpredictable
Home batteries make fires much more unpredictable for firefighters, limiting their options, the NIPV argues. The problem with this is that turning off the electricity in the meter box does not guarantee that the battery is de-energized, so the danger of shock still remains if a firefighter tries to remove the battery. The focus for firefighters should therefore be primarily on preventing the fire from spreading to other rooms or homes until the battery is stable.
Skilled electrician
For the study, NIPV investigated a number of incidents involving a home battery. In these, there was a lot of smoke. In two cases, an explosion occurred and the fire flared up again. This made it clear that more expertise is needed about batteries than might be assumed among firefighters. After stabilization, a skilled electrician must perform necessary actions such as disconnection or disassembly.
Joint responsibility
The NIPV therefore argues that the responsibility for properly fighting fires where home batteries are present does not rest solely with the fire department. Therefore, it appeals to the home battery industry, manufacturers, suppliers and installers. Efforts should be made to ensure the availability of electrical engineering expertise in the event of incidents involving lithium-ion home batteries for safe electrical disassembly and securing. In addition, assistance in the interpretation of battery management system error messages is desired.
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