A defect in a hybrid vehicle caused a massive fire to spread across multiple vehicles overnight in Woodbridge, Virginia this week, reports FOX 5 DC.
Around 3:43 a.m., crews arrived at the Summerland Heights Apartment complex to find multiple vehicles on fire.
Though the flames were extinguished quickly, eight vehicles were destroyed, with an additional three damaged. Officials said that the fire was first sparked by an electrical malfunction in a hybrid vehicle, with leaking gasoline helping it spread.
EV and hybrid fires aren’t common—but when they happen, they can be dangerous, especially with them typically occurring when a vehicle has been left unattended. This past August, more than 50 Rivian vehicles caught on fire while sitting at a manufacturing plant.
As safety officials attempt to establish standards for preventing and combating vehicle fires, there has been much conversation on what action needs to be taken to minimize the likelihood of these fires and the damage they can cause.
Work is underway to achieve just that by improving aspects of battery technology, such as the self-extinguishing EV battery currently under development by researchers.
