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WATCH: Electric vehicle flooded in saltwater catches fire in Siesta Key

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  September 29, 2024 3:37pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Electric vehicle catches fire in garage

Pinellas County government posted a video of an electric car catching on fire after floodwaters entered a garage.

SIESTA KEY, Fla. - Pinellas County government posted a video of an electric car being engulfed in flames in Siesta Key on Saturday.

Electric vehicles that have been flooded in saltwater can catch fire, according to the post. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding in the Bay Area and some electric cars that came in contact with floodwaters began to spark.

Scooters, bikes, electronic bikes, and electric vehicles all use lithium-ion batteries and if those batteries are flood-damaged they pose a high fire risk.

"Water and the ion batteries do not mix, and they literally explode," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a Friday news conference.

Electric vehicle danger during flooding

Several fires in the Bay Area during Hurricane Helene started as electric vehicles took on water during flooding. That includes a Siesta Key family who caught the fire on video.

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