FIREFIGHTING HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY - FIRE DAMAGE EMERGENC Extinguish small fi res, that do not involve the high voltage battery, A burning or heating battery releases toxic vapors. These vapors using a CO or ABC extinguisher. include sulfuric acid, oxides of carbon, nickel, aluminum, lithium, 2 copper, and cobalt. Responders should wear full personal During overhaul, do not make contact with any high voltage protective equipment (PPE), including self-contained breathing component. Always use insulated tools for overhaul. Stored gas infl ation cylinders, gas struts, and other components apparatus (SCBA), and take appropriate measures to protect Y RESPONSE GUIDE civilians downwind from the incident. Use fog streams or positive can result in a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) pressure ventilation (PPV) fans to direct vapors. in extreme temperatures. Perform an adequate “knock down” on The high voltage battery consists of lithium-ion cells. These are the fi re before entering the incident’s “hot zone.” considered dry cell batteries. If damaged, only a small amount of If the high voltage battery becomes involved in fi re or is bent, battery fl uid can leak. Lithium-ion battery fl uid is clear in color. twisted, damaged, or breached in any way, or if you suspect that The high voltage battery, the drive unit, the charge controllers, the battery is heating, use large amounts of water to cool the and the DC-DC converter are liquid cooled with typical glycol- battery. DO NOT extinguish fi re with a small amount of water. based coolant. If damaged, blue fl uid can leak out of the battery. Always establish or request an additional water supply. Battery fi res can take up to 24 hours to fully extinguish. Consider A damaged high voltage battery can cause rapid heating of the allowing the vehicle to burn while protecting exposures. battery cells. If you notice smoke coming from the battery area, assume the battery is heating and take appropriate action as Use a thermal imaging camera to ensure the high voltage battery described under the heading “FIREFIGHTING” on this page. is completely cooled before leaving the incident. If a thermal imaging camera is not available, you must monitor the battery for RESCUE OPERA re-ignition. Smoke indicates that the battery is still heating. Do not release the vehicle to second responders until there has been no sign of smoke from the battery for at least one hour. Always advise second responders (law enforcement, tow personnel) that there is a risk of the battery re-igniting. After a Model S has been involved in a submersion, fi re, or a collision that has compromised the high voltage battery, always store it in an TIONS open area with no exposures within 50 feet. WARNING: When fi re is involved, consider the entire vehicle energized and DO NOT TOUCH any part of the vehicle. Always wear full PPE, including SCBA. WARNING: Regardless of the disabling procedure you use, ALWAYS ASSUME THAT ALL HIGH VOLTAGE COMPONENTS ARE ENERGIZED! Cutting, crushing or touching high voltage components can result in serious injury or death. 21