EV Fire vs Petrol Fire: Why They're Different | EV Fire Solutions

Why you can't fight an EV fire like a petrol fire

A burning petrol car is intense but short-lived. An EV battery fire plays by entirely different rules — and treating one like the other is a costly mistake.

A conventional fuel fire burns until its fuel is consumed and then goes out. A lithium-ion battery, by contrast, can sustain its own reaction: heat, gas and pressure build inside the pack, and the fire can keep going even after the visible flames are knocked down (Innovation News Network, 2026).

The reignition problem

Because the reaction is internal, a fire that appears extinguished can flare again minutes — or even hours — later. Fire research bodies have documented reignition as a genuine probability until the cells are cooled enough to halt thermal runaway (Firehouse, n.d.). This is why responders may stay on scene long after the flames are out, and why a towed EV can reignite on the truck or in the salvage yard (EV FireSafe, 2025).

What this means for water

Stopping an EV fire takes enormous volumes of water for cooling. Estimates put a typical EV fire at around 2,500 gallons (roughly 9,500 litres) versus 500–1,100 gallons for a combustion-engine fire (International Council on Clean Transportation, 2024). For a small device like an e-bike battery, full submersion in water can work because the whole battery cools at once.

Practical implications for owners

• Your goal is containment and early intervention, not heroics — get people clear and call 000.
• For small devices, a purpose-built EV fire extinguisher can cool and suppress before escalation.
• For cars, an EV car fire blanket buys critical time by containing the blaze and limiting spread to nearby vehicles and structures.