A vehicle fire blanket is a large sheet of high temperature fabric pulled over a burning car to contain it. They have become common in car parks, dealerships, ferries and workshops as electric vehicles have spread. What they do is limit fire spread to neighbouring vehicles and structure. What they do not do is put out a battery fire, and any description that says otherwise should be treated with suspicion.
Why a lithium battery fire is different
A cell in thermal runaway generates its own heat and releases its own oxidising gases, so it does not depend on the air around it in the way an ordinary fire does. Smothering therefore does not stop the reaction. The fire propagates from cell to cell, can continue for a long time, and can reignite hours or days later after it appears out. Cooling with very large volumes of water is the fire service technique, and it is not something a portable addresses.
What the blanket is for
Containment. Pulled over a vehicle it holds the flame and much of the radiant heat inside, which protects the cars either side and the structure above. In an enclosed car park or on a vehicle deck that is a large gain, because the realistic worst case is not one vehicle lost but a row of them.
Deployment is a two person job
The blankets are heavy and are drawn over the vehicle from front to back or by two people from the sides, using the handles. Anybody deploying one needs to have handled it before, and the site needs a plan for where it is stored relative to where vehicles park. A blanket in a locked store on another level is not a control.
Where they belong
Underground and multi storey car parks, dealership workshops, vehicle ferries, fleet depots and charging hubs. Anywhere vehicles are parked close together under structure, which is where a single vehicle fire becomes a building fire.
Questions people ask about electric vehicle fire blanket
Does an ev fire blanket extinguish a battery fire?
No. It contains it. The cells continue to react underneath and the fire service still has to deal with the vehicle.
Is a lithium fire blanket the same product?
The phrase is used both for vehicle sized blankets and for much smaller pouches sold for batteries and devices. They address very different scales and should not be bought interchangeably.
Should a building with EV charging have one?
That is a risk assessment question, and enclosed parking under occupied floors is where the answer is most often yes. The assessment should also cover charger placement and the route the fire service would take.