Firefighters Use Specialized Equipment to Extinguish Electric Vehicle Fire at Gas Station in Brooklyn Center
Photo credit: Brooklyn Center Fire Department
Published: January 1st, 2026 |
BROOKLYN CENTER MN: A Brooklyn Center police officer’s quick decision to move a burning electric vehicle away from gas pumps helped prevent a potentially dangerous situation Tuesday night at a local gas station.
The fire was reported around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Winner gas station at 6501 Humboldt Avenue North. Authorities say the electric vehicle was parked next to fuel pumps while the driver was inside the store when the fire started. A Brooklyn Center police officer used their squad car to push the vehicle away from the pumps and into an open area of the parking lot before firefighters arrived.
Fire crews encountered heavy smoke coming from the vehicle’s battery area and deployed specialized equipment designed specifically for electric vehicle fires. Firefighters used a device known as a “turtle,” which connects to a fire hose and directs water underneath the vehicle to cool the battery pack. Crews also placed a large fire blanket over the vehicle to contain vapors and limit smoke.
Officials say electric vehicle battery fires pose unique challenges compared to traditional vehicle fires. While a typical car fire can be extinguished in about 10 minutes using roughly 500 gallons of water, crews remained on scene for approximately two and a half hours and used an estimated 30,000 gallons of water to safely cool the battery.
Firefighters cleared the scene at about 1:20 a.m. No injuries were reported.