A fire department in Massachusetts says its crews had to use more than 11,000 gallons of water to put out an electric vehicle fire that started when the car "spontaneously" burst into flames.
Images released by the Wareham Fire Department show the charred remains of a hatchback vehicle parked outside a home in the southeastern Massachusetts town over the weekend.
"If this vehicle had been parked in a garage the results could have been disastrous," Fire Chief John Kelley said in a statement. "Additionally, electric vehicle fires are difficult to fight and present unique challenges."
The owner of the car, identified by WCVB as Ann Thomas, reportedly told the station that she and her husband were awoken Saturday morning by a loud sound.
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"It sounded like a big poof. And he looked to the window, and he saw the smoke," she said.
The station reports that the car has since been taken to a local towing business where it has been parked away from other vehicles.
"The first arriving crews encountered an electric car on fire in the driveway with multiple exposure issues," the Wareham Fire Department said, noting that it first responded to the property around 4:15 a.m. on Saturday.
"After knocking down the initial fire, firefighters continued to wet the vehicle down, and approximately 30 minutes later, the fire again flared up," it added. "Firefighters remained on the scene for about three hours using over 11,000 gallons of water to ensure the fire was extinguished. The fire appeared to have started spontaneously, as the car had already been charged."
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The model of the car has not been independently confirmed by FOX Business. The Wareham Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
In mid-January in Massachusetts, the Wakefield Fire Department said "more than 20,000 gallons of water were used" to extinguish a fire involving a Tesla vehicle that crashed along Interstate 95.
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"As sales of electric and hybrid vehicles increase, the fire service is continuing to modify our tactics to properly respond, protect property and firefighters as well as control these types of fires," Wakefield Fire Provisional Chief Thomas Purcell said at the time. "Fire companies on the scene of an electrical vehicle fire should expect longer time frames to manage and control EV vehicle fires, ensure that large, continuous, sustainable water supply is established, as well as maintain heightened situational awareness and prepare for secondary fires."
