News Notes: Firefighters battle complex EV fire

Flames engulf a Jeep on Hemlock Drive. (Canton Fire Dept. photo)

Fire crews from Canton and several surrounding towns converged on the driveway of a home on Hemlock Drive on Saturday evening to battle a fully involved hybrid Jeep fire that also threatened the home as well as two other nearby vehicles. According to Fire Lt. John Hutchinson, the initial 911 call came in from a neighbor who had spotted the flames, and the one resident who was home at the time was alerted to the fire by firefighters on scene.

Unlike a typical car fire, there were several variables in this instance that significantly raised the threat level, including the fact that the Jeep was up against the house and plugged in at the time; was parked near other vehicles; and contained lithium batteries that are resistant to traditional firefighting tactics. While it took less than 30 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze, the fire did flare up a few times and the gas tank in the Jeep ruptured. One of the other vehicles caught fire as well, and a third vehicle sustained heat damage. The fire also extended to the exterior of the home, but none was found inside on any of the floors.

In a Facebook post summarizing the incident, Canton Firefighters Local 1580 noted that a bit of fortunate timing, due to Ambulance 2 and Ladder 2 being out on a separate call, led to an extra firefighter being on scene as part of the Engine 4 crew — allowing them to pull a second hose line and extinguish the fire in the second car before deluging the EV with copious amounts of water from both lines. These efforts were further aided by the arrival of Engine 3, which hooked up to a hydrant and established a water line to Engine 4.

According to Local 1580, not only did the incident demonstrate that “manning matters,” but it also underscored the importance of mutual aid as Canton received help from the Stoughton, Milton, Sharon and Randolph fire departments, along with a big assist from Norwood FD, who covered Station 1 and handled multiple medical emergencies. Local 1580 also thanked the crew from Foxborough who assisted in the treatment of a Canton firefighter, who was hospitalized and released later that night, as well as the Canton police officers who responded and shut down Hemlock Drive for the duration of the response, and the crew from Interstate Towing.

Hutchinson said the Jeep was towed to a town-owned lot and had to be monitored overnight due to the high probability of EV’s reigniting. Damage to the cars and home was estimated at around $200,000.

Gate security issues delay opening of dog parks

Canton dog owners will have to wait a little longer before utilizing the two new dog parks at the Paul Revere Heritage Site as officials try to work out the kinks in the key FOB security system that will enable access to the parks’ gates. The two parks — one intended for larger dogs and the other for smaller dogs — are both located along the diversion channel on the Neponset Street side of the property and will be jointly managed by the town and the nonprofit Friends of the Canton Dog Park. Construction is now complete, and Town Administrator Charles Doody said officials are now targeting an opening date at the end of July or early August …

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