Editor’s Note: On Friday, July 26 a long-haul truck carrying lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles and for electric power battery back-up facilities overturned on Interstate Highway 15 (I-15) between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The truck caught fire and forced the closure of first one lane, and then eventually the entire highway. As described by various media outlets, such as KVVU-5 Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the accident caused a massive traffic jam, closing the highway from Friday through Monday.
“I mean, I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Benjamin Leffel, an associate professor of public policy at UNLV, told KVVU-5 News. “Many have called it the worst traffic jam of their lifetime. I have to agree.”
Because of the unique dangers and nature of the lithium ion battery fire, firefighters were unable to put out the fire, and eventually were forced to push the truck 100 feet off the road and into the surrounding desert, where they then constructed a berm around it. As the Review-Journal pointed out, “[f]ires involving lithium batteries are particularly hazardous because they produce chemicals and toxic gases, which made it essential to handle the situation with extreme caution ….” As a result, the Hazmat team called in said the fire would be allowed to burn itself out, and provided no timeline for when they expected it to be extinguished.
Below, guest writer, Charles Rotter, discusses the broader lessons this incidence suggests about the dangers posed by the wider adoption of green technology.
Once upon a time in the magical land of California, a truck carrying the very essence of green dreams – lithium-ion batteries – decided to take a nap on the side of I-15. This wasn’t just any ordinary nap, mind you; it was a fiery, apocalyptic slumber that would go down in the annals of transportation history.
Now, let’s not forget that lithium-ion batteries are the darlings of the green movement. They’re supposed to be the answer to all our energy woes, powering everything from our electric cars to our smartphones. But, as the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and in this case, the responsibility to not spontaneously combust on a major highway.
Lithium battery fire between Barstow and Baker, I-15 NB. All traffic has been stopped for at least six hours. Fire still burning. pic.twitter.com/ZtUmhQHNvB
— Linda Weber (@LAGreyhound) July 27, 2024
As the truck’s cargo decided to go full-on barbecue, the brave firefighters of San Bernardino County rushed to the scene, only to find themselves scratching their heads. You see, lithium-ion fires are a bit like that one friend who refuses to leave the party; they just keep going and going and going. Water is out of the question, as it only makes things worse. So, the firefighters had to stand back and watch the spectacle unfold, hoping that the batteries would eventually burn themselves out.
Meanwhile, the poor souls who found themselves stuck on I-15 were left to ponder the irony of it all. Here they were, trying to do their part for the environment by not driving gas-guzzling SUVs, only to be trapped in a traffic apocalypse from hell, courtesy of the very technology that was supposed to save us from ourselves.
Lithium Battery Fire Sparks Traffic Mayhem Across California Desert https://t.co/2cfiYdAEnl
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) July 28, 2024
The situation was so dire that some motorists were forced to spend the night in their cars, dreaming of the days when a simple gas-powered engine could get them from point A to point B without the risk of spontaneous combustion. It’s almost as if Mother Nature herself was sending a message: “You want green? I’ll give you green… the color of a fire truck.”
UPDATE: Motorists are stranded on I-15 tonight after a truck carrying lithium ion batteries overturned and caught fire this morning near Baker, Calif. I-15 northbound to Las Vegas is still closed. #RJNowhttps://t.co/tDTefKPyjZ pic.twitter.com/elgi8RVH07
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) July 27, 2024
In the end, after 44 hours of chaos and confusion, the northbound lanes of I-15 were finally reopened. The charred remains of the lithium-ion batteries were a stark reminder that, while the road to a greener future is paved with good intentions, it’s also littered with the smoldering remnants of our best-laid plans.
So, the next time you’re stuck in traffic, dreaming of a world powered by clean, renewable energy, just remember: it’s not easy being green. And maybe, just maybe, we should take a step back and reevaluate our priorities before we put all our eggs in one lithium-ion basket.
Big Lithium mining at California’s Salton Sea – https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/online/californias-salton-sea-could-be-the-mother-lode-of-lithium/
When it comes to the money men, I doubt they care about the fire dangers. Did somebody say “Fire!?” I also doubt the current conflagration of California wildfires are the result of a car catching on fire (just heard that excuse for both the Park Fire in NorCal and the Borel Fire, Kern Co.) I just learned that beginning Jan. 2025, new “green” HVAC system regulations require a “refrigerant” that is flammable.
It looks like the trailer could have been pushed back a hundred feet and would be NO RISK to drivers. I know ‘climate change’ is a scam, but this looks like over zealous ‘safetyism’, rather than ‘all batteries are dangerous and therefore we’re right’. Lithium Ion batteries are dangerous, but LiFePo4 batteries aren’t (the type that server rack batteries, which are also used in home solar systems, are made from).