Residents of several dozen homes in Ojai were briefed Ordered to vacate or the shelter after the hybrid electric vehicle caught fire on Saturday morning, Sends up belching smoke towards the surroundings.
Ventura County firefighters were dispatched at 9:30 a.m. and determined the Volvo XC90's battery was in a state of thermal runaway, a chemical chain reaction that causes temperatures to rise uncontrollably, said fire engineer Andrew Dowd.
Instead of trying to put out the fire, they deployed protective equipment in the surrounding neighborhood to monitor it as it burned.
“It's a chemical reaction, not a thermal reaction,” Dowd said. “During that time, the batteries continue to burn and burn even when watered. Our current and most effective firefighting strategy is to protect the health and safety of responders and citizens.”
Residents were on top of the fire Ordered to vacate And stay in that place downwind.
By 1:30 p.m., the smoke had cleared, and the orders were downgraded to warnings, Dowd said.
However, the scene remained active, as infrared-equipped drones were still detecting significant residual heat in the vehicle.
Once the danger level is crossed, the vehicle will be towed, he said.