Australian EV fire safety organisation EV Firesafe responded furiously to a claim that a lithium fire safety blanket could have helped prevent a fire linked to a lithium-ion battery, in which two firefighters died.
Emma Sutcliffe, director of EV Firesafe and a firefighter herself, said on LinkedIn: “I finally snapped…I’m so sick of companies claiming ‘we’ve got a product that can stop thermal runaway’, but taking that a step further to claim such products could have saved firefighter lives is utterly disgusting.
“Please stop. Your products may be one tool to use, but your abhorrent marketing tactics mean I will actively encourage people to avoid buying one.”
The Norwegian company Bridgehill made a claim that a fire in Poznan highlighted the need for effective safety measures. It said an explosion in an apartment building, linked to battery regeneration, resulted in tragic losses including two firefighters who died.
“Our Lithium Fire Blanket could have been a crucial tool in preventing such accidents,” it stated. It set out the benefits of its product and urged businesses and facilities “to prioritise fire safety and equip themselves with the right tools.”
The statement brought a lot of criticism and the company apologised and took down the post “out of respect for those involved”.
It told BEST in a statement: “Our intention was to raise awareness about the increasing risks of lithium battery fires. We do not claim that our fire blankets can extinguish thermal runaway, but rather that they can help mitigate damage. However, given the tragic loss of life in this case, we realise the post may have been misinterpreted, and we removed it to avoid any misunderstanding.”
