VIDEO/PHOTOS: Boulder City Fire Department Chief Kenneth Morgan and his team swiftly responded to a fire at the Townsite Solar Facility after a lithium battery caught fire around 7 p.m. Tuesday. The crew arrived just eight minutes after the incident and worked until 1 a.m. to contain the flames, which affected two units. “We had plenty of water availability to keep the remainder of the battery packs protected, and that is what our plan was,” Morgan said. The fire department’s pre-planning and training helped prevent further damage.
“We kind of know where they are at. We figure out tactics on how to keep it confined to that specific block,” Morgan explained. University of Nevada, Reno scientist Xiaoliang Wang noted the challenges firefighters face with such fires, as the batteries run too hot to be extinguished with water. “The battery starts to heat up uncontrolled. Then eventually catch fire,” Wang said. Despite the risks, Wang emphasized the importance of these batteries in transitioning to renewable energy. “It helps the society to transition to renewable energy and move away from the fossil fuels,” he said.
