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Mass. firefighter invents tool to make EV fires safer to extinguish

The device, designed by Hingham Firefighter Ryan Twombly, slides under burning vehicles to cool batteries from a distance

HINGHAM, Mass. — As electric vehicles become more common, so do the challenges facing firefighters called to respond when these cars catch fire. One Massachusetts firefighter is helping departments across the state tackle the problem with a new invention aimed at making electric vehicle (EV) fires safer and more manageable.

Hingham Firefighter Ryan Twombly saw firsthand how dangerous and time-consuming EV fires can be, WCVB reports. Traditional tactics often leave firefighters dangerously close to burning batteries for extended periods.

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“What I saw was firefighters were way too exposed to the hazard. And we were in the hazard zone for way too long,” Twombly told WCVB. “And [I] said, ‘You know what? We don’t need to be tilting the car. We need to have something to slide underneath the vehicle and suppress the hazard from a distance.’”


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Twombly’s solution: a 40-inch metal pipe, outfitted with hose attachments on each end and slits running along one side — designed to work like a heavy-duty lawn sprinkler. Firefighters can slide the device, a tactical thermal reducing cylinder (TTRC), underneath a burning EV and direct water right to the vehicle’s battery, cooling it more efficiently and reducing the risk of injury. The invention eliminates the need to tip a vehicle on its side to get water to the battery.

The device is now equipped on all of Hingham’s fire engines and has been adopted by more than a dozen other fire departments across Massachusetts. Most recently, Waltham firefighters put Twombly’s tool to the test when they were called to extinguish a fire in an electric Jeep.

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Sarah Roebuck is the news editor for Police1, Corrections1, FireRescue1 and EMS1, leading daily news coverage. With nearly a decade of digital journalism experience, she has been recognized for her expertise in digital media, including being sourced in Broadcast News in the Digital Age.

A graduate of Central Michigan University with a broadcast and cinematic arts degree, Roebuck joined Lexipol in April 2023. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com or connect on LinkedIn.