Interstate 40 slowed by vehicle fires, like the one Sunday, something the Cookeville Fire Department deals with fairly consistently.
Cookeville Fire Chief Benton Young said on average, his fire department responds to one or two vehicle fires per week.
“I think it’s just more so people have, everybody has a camera today, and it’s, you know, easier to put on social media than it ever has been,” Young said. “So a lot of people see it that way and then realize, actually, how many car fires they probably really are.”
Despite being fairly common, Young said vehicle fires can quickly become dangerous situations. Young said mechanical issues are typically the main reason a vehicle catches fire.
“You know, you have tires, they get melted, and they can pop and explode,” Young said. “Most of your fuel tanks are made out of plastic material. So they can melt, and you can have leaking fuel that catches fire, you know, spread out over a pretty good area. They go up fairly quickly. I mean, you have a lot of toxic chemicals and stuff that those vehicles, the plastic starts melting and burning, and it can put out some toxic smoke from that.”
While vehicle fires have many dangers, Young said electric vehicles can present many challenges for firefighters. He said most of the components in an electric vehicle react to water rather than putting the fire out.
“If we can get to it quick enough and cool that battery down and keep it cool, that’s the primary source,” Young said. “But that battery has already been energized, and it basically starts self-igniting itself. Then it’s a very difficult thing to put out. And sometimes you may even just have to let it burn because it takes thousands and thousands of gallons of water just to try to put that back out.”
Another issue crews face is locating fires, especially along Interstate 40, where callers may not know their exact location. Young said providing details like mile markers can help responders arrive faster.
If a vehicle catches fire, Young said safety should be the top priority.
“The main thing is to get out of the vehicle,” Young said. “Don’t try to get back in and get anything out of the vehicle. You could get in there, and the door could close or something. And a lot of these electronic locks may not open back up. So get out of the vehicle, stay out of the vehicle, and stay away from it, you know, 50, 100 feet away, at least.”
He also encouraged drivers to call 911 immediately and only attempt to extinguish a fire if it is small and manageable.
