How long does a fire blanket take to extinguish a vehicle fire?
The Texfire fire blanket for vehicles is an effective and fast solution to stop and control the spread of flames and heat. However, when the blanket covers the car, it is difficult to tell exactly when the fire has been completely extinguished, leading to the following questions: How long does it take for the blanket to extinguish a fire? or When is it safe to remove the blanket from the vehicle?
The first safety rule is that in case of fire, whether before or after placing the blanket over the vehicle, emergency services must always be contacted.
The second safety rule is that only emergency services can remove the blanket, as they have the necessary experience to assess the situation and determine when it is safe to remove the blanket from the vehicle.
Differences between a fire in a gasoline vehicle and a battery-powered vehicle
For a fire to occur, three elements must be present: a combustible material, an oxidizer, and enough heat to trigger the reaction.
What allows the blanket to extinguish a fire is that it removes the oxidizer from the equation, which in this case is the oxygen in the air. When the blanket is placed over the car, the excess fabric that touches the ground acts as a skirt, preventing ambient air from feeding the fire. Once the oxygen inside the "bubble" is depleted, the fire is extinguished. This effect allows fires in gasoline vehicles to be extinguished using the blanket.
In the case of electric cars with lithium batteries, the blanket cannot extinguish the flames because, even though it prevents oxygen from entering, the battery itself generates flammable gases that act as oxidizers and continue to feed the fire. Therefore, even when covering the vehicle with the blanket, the fire will keep burning.
For these types of vehicles, using the fire blanket is crucial to: preventing the spread of the fire, containing some of the toxic gases, and buying time for the arrival of emergency services.
How long does it take for a fire in an electric car with lithium batteries to go out?
There is no exact answer, but in some cases, it can take several days. The time needed for complete extinguishment of the fire will depend on multiple factors, with the most important being the size and power of the battery and the charge level it had at the time of the fire.
How long does it take for a fire in a gasoline vehicle to go out?
The time may vary depending on the size of the vehicle, the materials used in its construction, the amount of fuel in the tank, etc. On average, the blanket can take between 3 to 5 hours to completely extinguish the fire.
When can the blanket be removed from the vehicle?
Only emergency services should be responsible for deciding when it is safe to remove the fire blanket. They are the only ones who can properly assess the conditions of each fire and apply the appropriate measures for each situation.
It is important to note that if the vehicle is electric, firefighters may use alternative methods such as thermal lances or water baths, without removing the blanket, using it as a fireproof shield. In some cases, even after the fire is controlled, they may move the vehicle with the blanket still in place.
In gasoline vehicles, although the blanket eventually extinguishes the flames, the fire may reignite after removal. For this reason, it is recommended that even for gasoline vehicles, firefighters decide how to act in each situation.
Protect your vehicle with Texfire's fire blanket today!
Don't wait for a fire to occur to realize how important it is to be prepared. The Texfire car fire blanket is an effective solution for both gasoline and electric vehicles. Our blanket is an essential tool.
