LA’s electric vehicle obsession hampers fire cleanup amid fears lithium-ion batteries are ticking time bombs
The ‘extremely dangerous’ lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles are hindering California’s wildlife cleanup efforts.
As federal agencies enter Phase 1 of clearing out the debris piled throughout Los Angeles, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with removing hazardous materials.
Lithium-ion batteries are making up a significant portion of these dangerous items – and the EPA worries they may ‘can spontaneously re-ignite, explode, and emit toxic gases and particulates even after the fire is out,’ NBC Los Angeles reported.
EPA incident commander Steve Calanog told the outlet that the aftermath of the Palisades and Eaton fires will likely call for the ‘largest lithium-ion battery pickup, cleanup, that’s ever happened in the history of the world.’
Calanog said that handling these shockingly temperamental batteries is no easy task – and it requires ‘technical sophistication and care.’
The crew handling the dangerous materials must deionize the batteries so they can be compressed for proper disposal.
They must wear special protective gear, including fire-resistant clothes and masks.
Exposure to overheated lithium-ion batteries can be extremely toxic to humans, according to the Prevor laboratory.
As federal agencies enter Phase 1 of trying to clear out the fire debris piled throughout Los Angeles
Lithium-ion batteries are making up a significant portion of these dangerous items – and the EPA worries they may ‘can spontaneously re-ignite, explode, and emit toxic gases and particulates even after the fire is out’
Aside from bursting into flames, humans near damaged or overheated batteries could be breathing in dangerous gases that can cause severe burns to one’s skin, eyes or digestive track.
It can also cause ‘irritation’ to someone’s respiratory track if inhaled.
‘We don’t know the long-term effects of all this exposure, and we haven’t seen this on this large of a scale and this many electric vehicles,’ Los Angeles City Fire Captain Adam VanGerpen told NBC.
‘This is an unprecedented amount of electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries in there.’
More than 99,000 zero-emission vehicles were sold in LA County in 2024, the California Energy Commission reported. California has the most EVs out of all the states.
Californians appeared to favor Tesla models Y, 3 and Cybertruck – as they were the top three most sold models of zero-emission cars sold in LA.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been an avid champion of EVs, as he gave his stamp of approval to the EPA decision to ban the sale of all gas-powered cars in the state by 2035.
LA residents have been warned that residual heat from the fires could lead to random combustions and that they should be extra careful in the months following the disasters.
Phase 1 of the cleanup response involves the EPA handling and clearing out risky materials
‘With the lithium-ion batteries, even if they look like they are intact they could have damage on the inside, so they continue to off gas and the off-gas from these batteries can be toxic to your health,’ VanGerpen told NBC.
Lithium-ion batters are also used in items such as electronics, vapes, electric bikes and power tools.
Phase 1 of the cleanup response involves the EPA handling and clearing out risky materials.
One they complete the challenging task and the affected areas are deemed safe, the Army Corps of Engineers can launch Phase 2, which is essentially the removal of the remaining debris.
Home and property owners are able to request the free removal of the fires’ fallout by the Corps or can hire an independent contractor to do so, according to NBC.
Phase 2 was first expected to take up to 18 months, but after President Trump visited LA, they said it could be done in a year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
‘Once a crew shows up to a property, depending on the complexity of that site, it can take two to ten days to clear the debris from that site,’ Colonel Eric Swenson of the Corps told the outlet.
‘It just really depends on how fast we get those rights of entry.’
President Donald Trump talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, on Friday
More than 99,000 zero-emission vehicles were sold in LA County in 2024, the California Energy Commission reported
Last Friday, Trump visited LA to assess the damage left behind by the three weeks of nonstop flames.
He clashed with LA Mayor Karen Bass about how to handle the county’s comeback from the devastation – but ultimately offered the county his support.
The EPA has assessed about 2,500 of the approximate 14,500 destroyed properties, the LA Times reported.
