EV Fires Require Specialised Response as Nigeria Accelerates Clean Mobility — FFS

By Daphne Uduneje

As Nigeria accelerates its transition towards cleaner and alternative-energy transportation, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) has warned that the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles is creating new emergency-response challenges that require specialised expertise, equipment and firefighting techniques.

The warning comes against the backdrop of increasing investments in Nigeria’s emerging clean-mobility ecosystem, with EVs and CNG vehicles gradually gaining traction as motorists and businesses seek alternatives to conventional petrol-powered transportation.

Speaking at the 3rd Auto Industry Summit in Lagos, Chief Superintendent of Fire, Badmus Abdulsamad, said the changing vehicle landscape required a corresponding transformation in the country’s emergency-response capabilities.

Presenting the Lagos Command’s preparedness strategy for EV and CNG-related emergencies, Abdulsamad said firefighters could no longer rely solely on conventional vehicle-firefighting techniques when responding to incidents involving alternative-energy vehicles.

According to him, although battery-electric vehicles are statistically less likely to catch fire than conventional petrol-powered vehicles, the nature of EV fires presents significantly different risks, particularly because of the lithium-ion battery systems used to power the vehicles.

He explained that one of the major hazards was thermal runaway, a self-sustaining chemical reaction within a battery that generates extreme heat and can spread rapidly from one cell to neighbouring cells.

“Firefighters must focus heavily on cooling the battery pack to prevent thermal runaway from spreading,” Abdulsamad said, noting that extinguishing an EV battery fire could require large quantities of water over an extended period.

The danger, he explained, does not necessarily end when the visible flames are extinguished. Damaged battery packs can remain unstable and reignite hours or even days after an incident, posing significant challenges when affected vehicles are moved to towing yards, workshops, storage facilities or fire stations.

New Risks for Emergency Responders

Abdulsamad said EV fires could occur while vehicles were being driven, parked or charged, with possible triggers including road crashes, debris penetrating battery packs, previous mechanical damage, extreme weather conditions and charging-related faults.

He also drew attention to the high-voltage electrical systems fitted to EVs, which can remain hazardous after a collision.

Burning lithium-ion batteries, he added, can release toxic and corrosive substances, including hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, while the batteries may also produce flammable or explosive vapours and projectile hazards.

The implications, according to the FFS official, extend beyond firefighters to motorists, towing operators, vehicle technicians and owners of facilities where damaged EVs may be stored.

For Nigeria, where the EV ecosystem is still developing, the emergence of these risks highlights the need for emergency agencies to keep pace with technological changes in the automotive industry.

The FFS therefore advised EV owners to use certified charging equipment, maintain their battery systems properly and avoid situations that could damage battery packs.

Owners were also advised to protect their vehicles from extreme heat and maintain safe distances between charging or parked vehicles and buildings.

Members of the public, meanwhile, were warned against attempting to tackle EV battery fires themselves.

Instead, the FFS urged motorists and bystanders to evacuate the affected area immediately and alert emergency responders, stressing that the specialised nature of EV fires makes untrained intervention particularly dangerous.

CNG Brings Another Dimension

While EVs present new battery-related risks, the FFS said the growing adoption of CNG-powered vehicles introduces another category of emergency challenge, particularly because CNG is stored in high-pressure cylinders.

Abdulsamad explained that CNG cylinders are equipped with pressure-relief devices designed to release gas when pressure rises to dangerous levels.

However, he cautioned that inappropriate intervention during a fire could worsen the situation, potentially resulting in cylinder rupture and powerful blast effects.

He further noted that CNG fires could produce pale blue flames that are difficult to see despite generating intense heat, making such incidents particularly hazardous for untrained responders.

Emergency personnel, he said, must not approach leaking CNG cylinders without appropriate protective equipment, specialised training and a proper assessment of the risks involved.

Responders must also eliminate potential sources of ignition while remaining alert to the possibility of cylinder failure.

For motorists, the FFS recommended that CNG conversion kits and cylinders be installed only by authorised dealers, certified service centres and qualified technicians.

It also advised regular inspection of CNG cylinders, regulators, pipelines and electrical systems to identify leaks, deterioration or other faults capable of triggering fires.

CNG vehicle owners were further advised against prolonged parking in direct sunlight, smoking or using naked flames around their vehicles.

In the event of a CNG vehicle fire, occupants should evacuate immediately, move to a safe distance and inform emergency responders that the vehicle is powered by CNG.

They were also advised not to approach the cylinders or attempt to fight the fire themselves.

Building Firefighting Capacity

Beyond issuing public safety warnings, the FFS said it was strengthening its operational capacity to respond to emerging risks associated with new vehicle technologies.

Abdulsamad disclosed that the Service was deploying rapid intervention vehicles, fire bikes, fire trucks and hydraulic platforms as part of its emergency-response strategy.

He added that firefighters were undergoing local and international training covering basic and advanced firefighting and rescue operations, including breathing apparatus techniques.

The Lagos Command is also working with state and private fire services as well as other strategic institutions, including the Nigerian Ports Authority fire department and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, to strengthen emergency coordination and response.

Public education, he said, remained another critical component of the Service’s prevention strategy.

The FFS is deploying social media campaigns, seminars, workshops, fire drills, annual risk assessments, media engagements and Fire Safety Week activities to improve public understanding of emerging fire hazards.

Safety Must Keep Pace with Clean Mobility

The FFS position highlights an important dimension of Nigeria’s clean-mobility transition: the shift from conventional internal-combustion vehicles to EVs and CNG-powered vehicles is not simply an automotive or environmental policy issue. It also has implications for emergency response, infrastructure, regulation, training and public safety.

As more EV charging facilities, CNG conversion centres, filling stations, workshops and alternative-energy vehicle assembly operations emerge, emergency-response agencies will increasingly be required to understand the technologies behind the vehicles they are called upon to rescue or extinguish.

For the FFS, the priority is therefore to ensure that the country’s emergency-response architecture evolves alongside its changing mobility landscape.

The Service stressed that Nigeria’s transition to cleaner transportation must be accompanied by specialised firefighter training, appropriate safety standards, adequate equipment and sustained public awareness.

Without these measures, the growing penetration of EV and CNG technologies could create a gap between the pace of automotive innovation and the country’s capacity to respond effectively when things go wrong.

The message from the FFS is clear: Nigeria’s clean-mobility ambitions must go hand in hand with a modernised safety and emergency-response framework capable of managing the distinct risks presented by the vehicles of the future.