A fire that erupted at an electrical vehicle charging station in B.C.’s Lower Mainland last fall was caused by a remote technician working from the U.S., an investigation has found. The charger was not in use when it overheated at a New Westminster charging station on Oct. 11, sparking a raging fire that forced the evacuation of a nearby fast food restaurant, according to a report from Technical Safety B.C. “The burning lithium-ion battery released toxic emissions in the area and caused heat and fire damage to the surrounding trees, streetlight and vehicle charging at the adjacent charger,” the report reads. No one was hurt during the incident. Investigators determined the fire was the result of a remote diagnostics check initiated by a worker in California. According to the report, the technician placed the charger into diagnostic mode, which overrides safety measures—including one that shuts the batteries off if they get too hot—then “inadvertently activated the battery heater.” “Over the next 26 hours, the charger was left in diagnostic mode with the battery heater on,” the report reads. “The battery temperature reached a critical level of 82° C, and the pack entered a thermal runaway, leading to a fire at the site.” Technical Safety B.C. classified the incident an accident caused by human error.
