Lithium Fire Blanket vs Traditional Fire Extinguishers Traditional fire extinguishers are not designed for lithium battery fire containment and may fail to control the intense heat of EV or lithium-ion battery fires. A lithium fire blanket provides fast, effective isolation of flames and smoke, making it an important tool in electric vehicle fire safety, as well as other applications involving lithium batteries, such as power tools and electronics, among others. Feature Lithium Fire Blanket Traditional Fire Extinguisher Primary Mechanism Containment and Isolation. It fully covers the burning object to contain flames, smoke, and toxic gases, and prevents the spread of fire. Extinguishment. It works by cooling, smothering (removing external oxygen), or interrupting the chemical reaction of a fire; however, these methods are largely ineffective against the internal self-heating and oxygen production of a lithium-ion thermal runaway event. Effectiveness in Lithium-Ion Fires Highly Effective for isolating and containing the fire, smoke, and toxic fumes. Largely Ineffective at fully extinguishing the fire due to the self-sustaining nature of thermal runaway. Toxic Gas Mitigation Designed to significantly reduce the spread of highly hazardous and toxic gases released during a lithium fire. Water-based systems can worsen the situation by potentially promoting the formation of more toxic gases. Re-ignition Risk Prevents re-ignition by containing the heat and isolating the burning object. There’s a significant risk of re-ignition due to thermal runaway.
