Tampere garage fire fuels calls for stricter electric car safety rules

Rescue services and police are calling for updated laws on electric vehicle charging and fire safety after a hybrid car battery sparked a major blaze in a Tampere parking garage a year ago, Yle reports.

The fire damaged dozens of vehicles. Riku Kytölä, an investigator at Pohjola Insurance, said it was among the world’s largest fires caused by an electric or hybrid vehicle. The insurer estimates the damage at between three and four million euros.

Jari Nieminen, fire chief at the Pirkanmaa rescue department, said rules governing fire risks from electric and hybrid vehicles in buildings had not kept pace with the growth in the number of these vehicles. He said improvements to systems for cutting power to charging points and limiting fires should be a priority.

The placement of charging points in parking garages can also affect how easily firefighters can reach a fire and carry out their work, Nieminen said. In the Tampere blaze, responders brought the situation under control in about an hour. The fire happened during the day, and a nearby rescue unit arrived quickly.

Police had cordoned off the area and later investigated the cause of the fire. Antti Uusipaikka, a detective chief inspector with the Central Finland Police Department, said the incident was dangerous because many cars were in the garage. He also warned that bystanders may not realise the risks posed by white smoke from a burning battery.

Battery fires can release highly toxic compounds, Uusipaikka said. Jari Nieminen also highlighted the risk from hydrogen fluoride released by batteries, which can form hydrofluoric acid when water is used to extinguish a fire. Uusipaikka said similar dangers can come from smaller batteries in electric bikes, scooters and mobile phones. He advised taking batteries from discarded devices to collection points and taping the terminals of smaller batteries to reduce the risk of short circuits.

Henri Huovinen, head of technical investigations at Copart Finland, said there was no reason to panic about electric cars. Statistics show they catch fire less often than cars with combustion engines. He said people can continue charging electric cars in garages, although charging outdoors is safer.