Fire and rescue services have released a new safety notification regarding electric battery packs after an electrical fault caused eight cars to be damaged in a London enterprise.
Approximately 25 firefighters were called to attend the auto-workshop fire that broke out on Tower Road, Willesden in the capital. While it took the crews less than an hour to quell the blaze and secure the site, extensive damage had already been done.
Half of the car workshop was engulfed in flames, decimating workbenches and damaging eight different vehicles on the premises.
Industrial and commercial enterprises are legally required to perform risk assessment for fire safety onsite. If alarms and detectors must be fitted, certified contractors should be employed to install equipment. Companies requiring a fire alarm fitter in Chester or London can count on qualified electricians for installations.
Fire investigators onsite looking into the blaze believe it was an accidental incident and was likely caused by a battery pack designed for electric vehicles (EVs) experiencing an electrical fault.
According to the Brent & Kilburn Times, a spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade commented that fire, smoke and heat damage had been inflicted in an area of the single-story workshop, where the storage and charging of lithium-ion batteries for EVs was managed. They explained:
“Batteries can present a fire risk if they’re over-charged, short circuited, submerged in water or damaged, so it’s really important to protect them against being damaged and charge them safely.”
Reports by local emergency services have confirmed that there were no injuries involved in the incident.
