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Fire department warns of growing lithium‑ion battery hazards; launches inspection and outreach plan
Summary
Deputy Chief Patrick Rabbit briefed the Fire Commission on rising incidents involving lithium‑ion batteries in electric vehicles, scooters and consumer devices, outlining toxic‑gas, thermal‑runaway and reignition risks and the department's response tools and public education plans.
Deputy Chief Patrick Rabbit told the San Francisco Fire Commission on Sept. 10 that the department is seeing more incidents involving lithium‑ion batteries and is expanding mitigation, inspection and public‑education efforts.
Rabbit said lithium‑ion cells “release toxic gases within 2 to 3 seconds” when they fail, including hydrogen fluoride and phosphorus fluorides, and that thermal runaway can produce temperatures up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and may reignite days after an initial event. He warned that some gases have an explosion potential and cited a near‑miss in Colorado in which an attached garage blew out when batteries ignited.
The department’s training bulletin (referenced in the meeting packet) and Rabbit’s presentation say the batteries can burn without atmospheric oxygen, complicating standard suppression tactics. Rabbit told commissioners the department…
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