VIDEO: South Metro Fire Rescue crews worked for hours on Monday to safely remove an electric vehicle that caught fire inside a Douglas County homeโs garage.
SMFR and the Douglas County Sheriffโs Office responded to what was first reported as a single-family residential structure fire in the 14000 block of Vienna Circle at about 3 p.m. The fire had led authorities to close Parker Road at Chambers Road while crews fought the fire.
The fire department said that the fire started in the garage and was able to control it as of 3:30 p.m., preventing extension into the houseโs main structure. However, SkyFOX flew over the scene at about 4:30 p.m. and saw that the EV was actively on fire and producing a plume of smoke from under a fire blanket.
The fire department first said that two residents were safely evacuated from the home, then later shared that one person had been transported for further evaluation. SMFR told FOX31โs Nate Belt that one resident was home at the time of the fire and a delivery driver attempted to put the fire out, and needed to be taken to a hospital to be checked out.
Crews were attempting to load the hybrid EV onto a tow truck to remove it from the scene as of 4:30 p.m., and SMFR said on X that at that point, the fire command determined loss had been stopped.
The vehicle was covered with a fire blanket and will be towed from the scene, followed by an SMFR apparatus. It was taken to a lot in Castle Rock, where it was allowed to burn out safely under the fire blanket. โWe want to put as little water as we can on an electric vehicle,โ explained Brian Willie, the lead public information officer for SMFR. He said thatโs because the water isnโt effective on lithium-ion battery fires if it mixes with certain chemicals. โThat smoke could be very deadly,โ Willie said.
That means the crews that were near the hybrid EV will need a scrub down. โAll of their equipment is being decontaminated right now, and theyโre having to switch out all their bunker gear and all their equipment is being washed,โ Willie explained. โEverything that we had, our hoses are now decontaminated that were in that fire.โ
