[News Today] EV CATCHES FIRE DURING RECHARGE

[LEAD]
Just five days after an electric vehicle caught fire in an Incheon underground parking lot, another blaze has ignited in a charging EV in Geumsan, Chungncheongnam-do Province. Fortunately, there were no further damages, but it took over three hours to fully extinguish the fire.

[REPORT]
White smoke seeps out from under an electric vehicle.

Moments later, the car is engulfed in smoke and flames.
The blaze appears to be controlled...
then suddenly, flames shoot up again.

Soundbite:2nd thermal runaway underway!

Fire officials spray water from all sides and barely manage to tow the car out.

Jeong Yeong-jin / Parking tower manager
When I arrived, smoke was rising, and explosions occurred as sparks flew.

Around 5 a.m. Tuesday, a domestic EV caught on fire inside a parking tower in Geumsan, Chungcheongnamdo Province while it was being recharged.

Some 50 vehicles were parked in the tower at the time.

A thermal runaway, when the battery temperature rises by over 1,000 degrees, occurred four times. It could have been a major disaster but luckily, the fire did not spread.

The temperature was swiftly lowered in the initial stage and the car was quickly brought out of the building to contain the blaze.

Kim Gi-ho / Geumsan 119 Safety Center
Non-flammable cloths were used amid concern of increased combustion.

However it took more than 3 hours to completely put out the fire.

The vehicle was reportedly being charged for 11 hours since Monday afternoon.

The police and the National Forensic Service plan to conduct a joint inspection once the battery in a water tank has fully cooled down.