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Firefighters in Virginia had a long afternoon after an electric SUV crashed and caught on fire. Because EV fires are more difficult to put out, the fire department requires extra resources to battle the blaze. It took over four hours to extinguish. 

Virginia firefighters battle electric SUV fire for four hours 

A chaotic scene unfolded in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as an electric SUV flipped over and burst into flames. The incident occurred on Walton Bluff Parkway and disrupted traffic for hours. 

The electric vehicle appears to be an Acura ZDX and it took over four hours to battle the blaze. However, this issue isn’t unique to electric Acura models. EVs typically burn are much higher temperatures than gas-powered cars. 

Firefighters often need extra equipment to fight EV fires. When the EV flipped, its battery pack ruptured, making things much worse. 

The department used drones equipped with thermal-imaging cameras to monitor battery-cell temperatures after the fire was put out to determine hot spots that could reignite. When a single battery cell ignites, it can cause a chain reaction of fires in other cells. 

According to Fire Rescue 1, EV batteries are encased in protective shells, making them more difficult to cool. Plus, electric SUV fires generate extreme temperatures and release toxic fumes. 

This extends on-scene time compared to traditional gas-powered cars. It usually takes about an hour to put out gas-powered car fires. 

Luckily, no one was injured. Chesterfield firefighters have been trained on lithium-ion battery incidents since 2021. In Virginia, all firefighters are required to complete their training by the end of the year.