Law enforcement bodycam footage from an F-150 Lightning Battery fireplace in a holding good deal in Dearborn, Michigan, on Feb. 4 exposed extraordinary pictures of 3 melted pickups, according to video clip footage launched by police.

Dearborn law enforcement and fire staff responded to the incident, which concerned 3 electrical motor vehicles and resulted in a five-week manufacturing shutdown. No one was wounded. The automaker labored with battery provider SK On to discover the lead to and resolution before restarting creation. In March, just after consulting with its supplier, Ford recalled 18 of the 2023 F-150 Lightning pickups.

Movie footage attained by CNBC as a result of a Michigan Liberty of Information Act request “totaled about two several hours of online video, like overlapping footage, from 17 law enforcement bodycams and car or truck dashcams between 3:36 p.m. and 4:22 p.m. ET, according to time stamps on the bodycam videos,” CNBC claimed.

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Motor vehicle battery fires burn up hotter than other fires and call for large portions of drinking water or particular substances to extinguish. In this situation, a single Ford pickup caught fire, and the flames distribute to the other two.

The online video consists of audio that illustrates the gravity of the predicament, as noted by CNBC:

• “We’re not placing this (expletive) out. Glimpse at it,” said a single responding officer.
• Initially responders can be read on movie expressing concern about how significantly water is necessary to set out EV fires and regardless of whether a particular foam would be demanded.
• “They have to put like a complete (expletive) lake on it to put them out,” the exact officer reported all through the event.

What is the recall on the Ford F-150 Lightning?

In its letter to federal regulators dated March 15, Ford mentioned the cause for the car or truck recall was “Substantial voltage battery pack may perhaps shorter circuit” and produce a fireplace threat. The fire happened even though the car was charging in a holding great deal during a pre-delivery top quality examine and was caused by an inside small circuit thanks to a manufacturing defect when cells in the battery had been at a “higher point out of cost,” in accordance to documents posted on the Nationwide Highway Transportation Security Administration web site.

Ford mentioned in its chronology report that engineers identified there was no evidence of a charging fault.

“Together with SK On, we verified the root will cause and quickly carried out top quality actions,” Ford explained in a assertion to CNBC. “The Rouge Electric Car Heart has been back again up and working because March 13 and is back to total generation and transport autos to shoppers.”

The Detroit Cost-free Push asked for the video, pictures and audio Thursday and still left messages for city of Dearborn spokesman Bilal Baydoun and the Dearborn Police spokesman, Cpl. Dan Bartok. A message trying to get comment about the incident was left for Dearborn Deputy Fire Chief Laura Ridenour.

Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg declined to comment to the Absolutely free Press on the release of the audio and online video, emphasizing: “This was 1 single hearth. We’re genuinely proud of the group, and how swiftly they responded to take care of the scenario.” She confirmed the automaker “took element in an information-sharing session on how to tackle battery fires in summer 2022 with customers of the Dearborn hearth section.”

Bergg informed the Cost-free Push, component of the Usa Nowadays Network: “We have a long historical past of doing work carefully with crisis staff and initial responders on automobile safety difficulties and that proceeds as we enter the EV era.  We’re additional analyzing alternatives to enable teach on this crucial subject.”

What caused the Ford Lightning fireplace?

Ford wrote to regulators that its investigation from Feb. 6 to Feb. 9 identified that the fireplace began in one particular of the battery arrays when “cathode aluminum tabs contacted the anode electrode content, creating an inner small circuit when the cells were at a substantial point out of demand.”

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or [email protected]. Adhere to her on Twitter @phoebesaid.