Burning Teslas in LA add to toxic mix hindering wildfire cleanup
Los Angeles wildfires, efforts to clean up the affected areas are being complicated by burnt-out electric and hybrid vehicles and home-battery storage systems.
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Lithium batteries from Tesla Inc., along with those from other carmakers, have added to the mix of toxic materials requiring specialized removal in the wake of the fires, delaying the fire victims’ return to their properties.
“A lot of the cars in the evacuation area were lithium batteries,” said Jacqui Irwin, a state assembly member representing the Pacific Palisades, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the fires. “We’ve heard from firefighters that those lithium batteries burned fires near homes – like those with power walls – for much longer.”
The LA wildfires, which began Jan. 7, have taken at least 27 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. While the dry, dangerous winds are forecast to end — a lack of rain and another possible round of winds next week has kept officials concerned that the danger is not over.
Estimates for insurance losses from the fires have rapidly jumped to as high as $40 billion and BlackRock Inc. Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink has warned it could take a decade to rebuild the city. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $100 million to the cleanup effort.
