What to do if there's a fire at a condo EV charging station

Fires at charging stations are very rare when the installation meets the standards, but every building should have a plan that everyone understands. The key is telling whether a fire comes from a car's battery or from the electrical system, because the response is different. This article is based on the emergency plan EVC uses at every station.

Why incidents usually involve the car's battery

An EV battery is a store of a large amount of energy. If it's damaged, overheats, or the car's cooling system fails, that stored energy can keep coming out as heat and fire, which makes this kind of fire harder to put out than an ordinary one.

The charger doesn't store energy, and it has several layers of power cut-off: a residual current breaker per charger, an independent main breaker and an emergency stop button. Once power is cut, nothing flows into the charger. That's why incidents at charging stations usually involve the car's battery rather than the charger. Keeping the battery and its cooling system in good order is the responsibility of the car owner and manufacturer.

If a resident sees smoke, a burning smell or sparks

1. Press the red emergency stop button on the charger

   It stops the charger immediately. Every charger has one in a clearly visible place.

2. Move away from the car and charger, then call 199

   Always call the fire brigade first.

3. Don't unplug the cable by hand, and don't use lifts

   Use the fire stairs, following the exit signs.

4. Notify the building and the call center

   Tell the juristic person and call the Galvanic call center on 093-164-7993, available 24 hours.

Type 1: fire in an EV's battery

You'll see smoke or smell burning coming from the car, not the charger. Steps for building staff:

1. Cut the charging station's main breaker immediately; don't unplug the cable by hand
2. Call 199 right away and say it's an electric car battery fire
3. If the fire has just started and you're at a safe distance, use the ABC extinguisher on the fire around the battery, such as other parts of the car starting to burn, to stop it spreading
4. Evacuate the car park and keep everyone at least 15 m from the car
5. The battery itself needs large amounts of water; leave it to firefighters
6. Notify the juristic person, the car owner and the call center so the incident is recorded

An ABC extinguisher can help stop the fire spreading, but it can't put out the battery itself. Don't stay near the car trying to fight it; people's safety always comes first.

Type 2: fire in the electrical system or charger

This involves only the charger, its cables or the charging station's circuit, not the units or other circuits in the condo. Steps for building staff:

1. Press the emergency stop or cut the charging station's main breaker immediately
2. Use the ABC extinguisher on the fire if you're at a safe distance
3. If the fire spreads, move away immediately
4. Call 199 and notify the juristic person
5. Evacuate everyone from the area immediately; don't use lifts
6. Call the call center so a technician can inspect

Which equipment to use

What to prepare in advance

• Building staff, technicians and security know where the emergency stop buttons and station main breaker are (EVC trains them before launch)
• A 5 kg ABC extinguisher at the station, checked regularly
• Evacuation routes at least 1.5 m wide, clear of obstacles, with visible exit signs
• 199 and the call center number displayed on every charger

EVC works with the juristic person in every emergency, even when it falls outside EVC's direct responsibility. See all the protection systems in safety systems at a condo EV charging station.