Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smartphones and e-bikes to electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems, but when these batteries fail, the resulting thermal runaway events present unique challenges that extend far beyond a traditional fire for first responders.

In this episode of The Hazmat Files, we examine what happens during thermal runaway, why these incidents behave differently than conventional fires, and what responders need to know about fire behavior, toxic emissions, explosion hazards, battery reignition, air monitoring, scene management, and responder safety.

Join us as we explore current research being conducted by UL's Fire Safety Research Institute and Chemical Insights Research Institute, lessons learned from real-world incidents, and practical considerations for firefighters, hazmat teams, EMS, and emergency managers responding to one of today's fastest-growing hazards.

Special Guests:

• Craig Weinschenk, PhD, Director of Research, UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute
• Mark Wilson, MSPH, PhD, CIH, Research Director, UL Research Institutes' Chemical Insights

Resources:

· Full-Scale Electric Vehicle Fire Experiments and Recommendations for Fire Incident Response

· NERIS - The National Emergency Response Information System

· Fire Safety Academy | Research‑Based Online Fire Training

· Battery Safety - Take Charge

· Evaluating inhalation risks and toxicological impacts of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway emissions - ScienceDirect

· What toxic chemicals are released in lithium-ion battery fires? - Science Journal for Kids and Teens