Besides restricting EV charging, the condo is supporting use of maintainers, such as the one condo President David Stern is holding. They keep batteries in gas-powered cars from overcharging. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
David Stern knows that the chances were extremely rare of a fire breaking out in one of the three electric vehicles that snowbirds parked in his condo’s garage last season.
He also knows that had one of them gone up in flames, the damage likely would have been catastrophic — not just to other cars but to the structure of the 45-unit Highland Beach building that stands above the garage.
“All it takes is just one fire,” he said. “We just don’t want to take a chance.”
With that in mind, Stern and fellow members of the Highlands Place condo board have taken the rare step of passing strict regulations that ban the charging of EVs inside the garage and prohibit batteries for electric bikes and scooters from being anywhere within the interior of the building.
“We’re being extremely proactive,” said Stern, who is president of the condo association and Highland Beach’s vice mayor. “We’re erring on the side of safety.”
Throughout south Palm Beach County, fire department leaders are spreading the word about the hazards that come with charging electric vehicles inside a garage and with keeping batteries for electric recreational vehicles indoors.
They are clear in their belief that EVs are safe and are not discouraging their use, but at the same time, they want to be sure the public understands what could — in very rare instances — happen.
“We just want the residents of multi-family buildings to be aware of the hazards and to take appropriate precautions,” said Highland Beach Fire Chief Glenn Joseph.
One of the most important steps that residents and condo boards can take to reduce the risk, according to Boynton Beach Fire Marshal Jon Raybuck, is to make sure all charging stations are installed according to recommended codes and are done with a permit.
“Unverified work may increase the chances of a charging station malfunctioning due to improper installation,” said Raybuck, whose department also provides fire protection service to Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes.
If and when the charging station or rechargeable electric vehicle batteries malfunction, they pose a major threat to structures as well as to firefighters, who still haven’t figured out how to effectively extinguish the blaze.
“When the batteries go haywire, they go haywire in a big way,” Joseph said.
The fires in electric vehicles burn much hotter than most traditional fires and are so intense that the most prescribed method of putting them out is not trying to do it at all.
Instead, firefighters, armed with the knowledge that pouring water on the fire or trying to smother it won’t work well, will find a way to get the vehicle out of a parking garage and then just let it burn itself out.
“Right now, we’re working on a better process to put the fire out,” said Dave DeRita, the fire marshal for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, which provides service to South Palm Beach and Manalapan.
Unlike traditional batteries, those used in EVs and e-bikes and scooters have their own internal fuel source and don’t require oxygen. If those battery fires can be put out at all, they often will reignite hours later.
“It’s a very hot fire and a very bright fire,” said Highland Beach Fire Marshal Matt Welhaf. “Fire sprinkler systems can’t keep it in check. There’s not enough water.”
Those hot fires — which can be triggered by overcharging, long-term exposure to standing water or other damage to the battery — spread rapidly and often create damage that can harm a building’s structural integrity.
One of the problems for fire prevention officials, Welhaf and others in the fire safety business say, is that battery technology is moving so fast that it’s difficult for them to keep up.
“Our suppression techniques haven’t caught up with the technology,” Joseph said.
At the same time, manufacturers are focusing on ways to keep the batteries from going up in flames.
“As the battery technology improves, the hazard will be reduced,” Joseph said.
One manufacturer, according to the county’s DeRita, is developing a solid-state battery, which will be less likely to cause a fire.
Until that happens, fire department leaders are recommending that condo boards and others in multifamily buildings install car-charging stations outdoors.
“We rather they not be in a garage,” Welhaf said. But if that is where they need to be, they should be easily accessible to firefighters who will need to pull them out. “The difficulty for us is access.”
Batteries for electric bikes and scooters should not be kept indoors at all, fire safety officials say.
“Improper use of these devices, charger failure or the utilization of incorrect charging cables may increase the risk of fire associated with them,” Boynton Beach’s Raybuck said.
Batteries on electric bikes and scooters are more exposed than those in electric cars and more susceptible to damage, such as when the bike falls. The damage could cause failures.
Because electric car batteries are more protected, they are less at risk of being damaged but are still at risk of overheating when charging.
While fire safety officials and building officials have building and electrical codes that can be used to ensure chargers are installed properly, there are no statewide or county regulations regarding where chargers can be placed or where electric bikes and scooters can be placed.
“There’s not a code that regulates the charging unit,” DeRita said.
Welhaf said that could be changing, but not for a few years.
The Florida Legislature has authorized the Division of State Fire Marshal to begin the process of drafting rules, but that takes time, Welhaf said.
Still, the topic remains a big issue for people in the fire safety industry and will be discussed this month during a statewide symposium organized by the marshal’s office.
In the interim, Stern and his board have stepped in and passed requirements and are working with residents to implement them in a way that is acceptable. Highlands Place is the first condo in Highland Beach to implement such restrictions and possibly the first in Palm Beach County.
To accommodate the residents with electric vehicles, the condo board is making space available outside the garage for a leased charger. Residents who use the charger will pay for the electricity they use and the cost of installation will be covered by a resident who volunteered to foot the bill.
Any resident with electric bikes or scooters will be required to store the batteries outside the building. Should they wish, they can purchase a fireproof battery locker that will be installed on condo property. Wheelchairs and similar items are exempt from the restrictions in order to comply with ADA rules.
Highlands Place, at 2901 S. Ocean Blvd., also now requires residents of gasoline-powered vehicles to use battery maintainers, rather than trickle chargers, to keep the battery from dying. The maintainers automatically shut off when the battery is charged. Condo maintenance will check the maintainers every two weeks to make sure they’re working properly.
Stern said that residents have been in agreement with the changes.
“The pushback has been nonexistent,” he said.
Stern said the building has been working with Welhaf and others in the fire department and hopes other buildings will follow Highlands Place’s lead.
“We want to be an example of safety first,” he said.
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