AFRS enhances lithium battery fire preparedness with specialist UK training

The Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) has strengthened its response capabilities to lithium-ion battery fires following specialist training undertaken in the UK.

Leading Firefighters Mitch Mifsud and Lee Muscat recently completed a course at the International Fire Training Centre in Teesside, focused on the management of lithium battery incidents across various environments.

With lithium-ion batteries increasingly found in everyday devices, e-scooters, electric vehicles and aircraft, the AFRS is addressing the risks associated with these technologies, including thermal runaway, a rapid chain reaction that can cause fires, toxic gas release and explosions, particularly hazardous in confined spaces such as aircraft.

The training included simulations and practical exercises, covering:

Electric vehicles (EVs): Risk identification, battery locations, signs of thermal runaway, power isolation, and safe extinguishing techniques.

Aircraft: Managing and containing fires in enclosed aviation environments.

Domestic settings: Responding to consumer device fires, particularly in high-density residential areas.

The AFRS said the knowledge gained would now be disseminated among operational personnel to ensure service-wide preparedness.

The Minister with responsibility for the AFRS, Leslie Bruzon, said: “Well done to Leading Firefighters Mitch Mifsud and Lee Muscat on completing this vital training. As Gibraltar embraces electric transport and devices, AFRS is stepping up to meet the challenge. Preparedness for lithium-ion fires is crucial, and this specialist knowledge will be key to keeping our community safe.”