Road Debris Causes Chevrolet Equinox Ev Battery Fire, Boston Traffic Mayhem Ensues

Boston's commute became a snarled messiness connected Friday morning. CBS News Boston reports that a Chevrolet Equinox EV caught occurrence connected I-90 westbound adjacent Fenway Park, blocking each lanes and bringing postulation to a standstill each nan measurement backmost to Logan Airport — and the Red Sox weren't playing astatine nan time. Most different awesome routes done nan metropolis were affected arsenic well, including I-93, nan Zakim Bridge, and Storrow Drive.

While authorities did not initially estimate connected nan origin of nan fire, the Equinox driver, Brian Alba, told CBS News Boston that he deed a portion of roadworthy debris instantly earlier nan occurrence started. Alba and his 90-year-old grandfather were concisely trapped successful nan car owed to passing traffic, resulting successful insignificant burns to Alba's leg. However, some were capable to flight nan burning car and fly to information earlier flames engulfed nan car.

Many firefighters aren't prepared to woody pinch EV fires, but nan Boston Fire Department had nan business nether power acold much quickly than expected. Alba besides credits a Massachusetts State Police trooper pinch utilizing his ain occurrence extinguisher to support nan occurrence from increasing bigger until firefighters arrived. Although firefighters initially expected nan occurrence to return respective hours to put out, nan roadworthy was clear and each lanes were unfastened astir 2 hours later.

This business resembles one of nan first known EV fires connected a nationalist road, where a Tesla Model S besides deed roadworthy debris and caught fire successful 2013. Firefighters had awesome trouble putting that 1 retired because they simply didn't cognize really to yet. Even backmost then, Tesla advised firefighters to usage ABC aliases CO2 extinguishers alternatively than water, which makes a lithium-ion occurrence worse. The connection seems to person gotten retired these days, arsenic nan authorities trooper first contained the Equinox's flames pinch his extinguisher, and ample amounts of foam were visible successful nan CBS News Boston footage. Only aft nan occurrence was retired did firefighters move to water, keeping nan artillery cool to forestall re-ignition. I do wonderment why much EV batteries don't person amended protection from impacts for illustration this, however, for illustration an off-road aliases rally car bash plate.

While it's unfortunate that this happened astatine all, it could person been a batch worse. The occurrence occurred conscionable past nan Prudential Tunnel, alternatively than inside nan tunnel. Although nan driver "lost a fewer hairs," nary 1 was earnestly hurt, including nan 90-year-old passenger. As EVs go much common, it seems that knowledge to conflict artillery fires whitethorn beryllium spreading arsenic well.

Perhaps nan astir different portion of this incident was that nan driver politely apologized for nan monolithic postulation snarls that nan occurrence caused, moreover though he is not to blame. We cognize Boston drivers are nan worst, but location whitethorn yet beryllium hope.