A caravan has been completely destroyed by fire at Auburn in South Australia’s mid north.
The state’s Country Fire Service (CFS) says it believes the blaze was started by lithium ion batteries.
“Caravan occupants spotted smoke coming out of the batteries before the fire had started,” it said. “The caravan was exited safely with no reported injuries.”
The fire completely engulfed the caravan, which was approximately 12 months old, and caused an estimated $175,000 of damage.
The SA CFS warns caravanners that, if they notice smoke coming from their lithium ion batteries, they should immediately alert emergency services to ensure their safety and the safety of others.
The caravan was completely destroyed in the blaze. PIC: SA CFS
There have been a number of fires attributed to lithium ion batteries in recent years.
Last July, three people were taken to Queensland’s Gold Coast University Hospital after one such incident in Southport.
And, just a few weeks earlier, two caravans were destroyed at a dealership in Bundaberg, Queensland, with the incident blamed on a ‘failed’ lithium-ion battery. Travellers were assured at the time that that such events were relatively rare.
There has been some confusion about the varying sorts of batteries in caravans. In this article for the Grey Nomads, Dr. Matthew Priestley, Lead Technology Translator at the UNSW, explains some of the differences.
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Looking forward to the uninformed who swear by their AGM battery and will never get lithium for their van. They need to do some research to see the fire was NOT caused by a caravan battery as they are lithium iron phosphate, not lithium-ion. Big difference.
Exactly!
As the article only states caused by Lithium Ion batteries how do you know they are not referring to the LiFePo4 batteries? It appears to suggest the van batteries were involved, but calling them Lithium Ion (which, technically, LiFePo4 are) is confusing. Do you have further information?
LiFe or LiFePO4 will still possibly be flammable when the wrong voltages are applied either internally or externally. Common causes are poor quality inbuilt BMS (Battery Monitoring System) and/or a low grade recharging system. The Max. voltage applied to a good quality “lithium” battery should be limited to a maximum of 14.6 Volts D.C. An AGM battery max. is 14.3 approx. and a normal lead acid is 14.2 although these two types are fairly tolerant as the internal cell resistance increases with the increasing level of charge, thus lowering the charging current (Amps).
We should all be aiming to relocate our LiFePO4 batteries to a ventilated metal enclosure mounted externally to the R.V. body.
Well what caused it then???
Comments such as this are uniformed, not based on fact and should not be made. LiFePO4 batteries are included in the general category of what is called – Lithium Ion Batteries.
Who is uninformed?
Lithium batteries can all have thermal runaway in the right circumstances.
It depends on a number of factors whether how much risk of that occurring is.
Those factors that limit the risk can include the type of battery, the quality of the battery and its inbuilt management system and how they are stored.
In recent times, the regulations have changed with regards the storage of Lithium batteries in motor homes and caravans and not without good reason.
The people who have their head in the sand thinking their battery won’t ignite are kidding themselves.
Even lead acid and AGM batteries have been known to ignite under the right set of circumstances, they are just a bit more stable that Lithium.
That isn’t to say I wouldn’t buy lithium, but I would be buying the best quality and type that I could plus I would be following the new storage regulations if I did.
I currently run AGM batteries because they are reliable and less likely to have issues, but I understand the attraction of lithium in it’s very light weight compared to AGM.
And don’t be fooled by the fact that you have spent a small fortune on your van that you therefore have top notch batteries in the package. Van manufacturers are notorious for fitting cheap stuff where they think they can get away with it.
Before buying a van, do your research and specify what you want in it including brands etc.
That applies equally to AGM batteries as it does to lithium.
Again Lithium batteries causing fires. You don’t see that from from AGM or Gel batteries. I will never get Lithium.
LiFePo4 batteries rarely cause fires, as the chemistry is highly resistant to runaway thermal activity. But yes, it can and does happen. Far, far more RV fires are caused by gas problems, which are much more likely to occur due to the nature of Propane and the delivery systems. I am, therefore, assuming you would never use gas?
Most “Lithium Ion” fires are created by runaway thermal expansion in items using NMC or NCA chemistries, particularly inexpensive items or the use of incorrect chargers.
Nothing is perfect, I guess we choose our own level of risk based upon various assessments. I use LiFePo4 in my vehicle and my van…
Cheers,
Mark
Yet another example of little or no proof of what caused this to occur , there could be a myriad of reasons why, but the batteries are always fist to be blamed, ASSUME , it could off been but poor wiring , poor connections, loose connections the list goes on
This is confusing, are we talking about LiFePo4 (which IS a type of Lithium Ion battery) or LMO’s or LiCoO2? Was it the main battery (probably LiFePo4) which caught fire or another Lithium Ion type ( e.g. a powerbank)?
I have over 4kWhr of LFP storage in my van (over 3 years now). Before I installed the system, I researched everything regarding LFP batteries. The most important thing is to have a proper “Battery Management System” (BMS), next is having appropriate wiring and making sure there is adequate ventilation.
I have ripped out all gas lines in my van as I consider gas in a van more dangerous. We now totally rely on our solar panels and LFP batteries to power our 240v requirements with internal induction hot plate, external pull out air fryer. Our aircon only uses 900W and cool the van in 15min. and stay cool for a long time. I can even power ou EV from the van if needed.
Don’t be afraid of LFP batteries just make sure they are a reputable brand with a good BMS.
Until we know more know more it’s hard to make a rational comment. However, I have had LFP batteries in our little van for 3 year now, self installed albeit with a lot of research and love them and never given me a moment of angst. Our van is totally 240/12/5V no gas whatsoever, it works for us.
Aircon, induction hotplate, airfryer, fridge, internal shower/toilet, TV by Starlink all in a 13ft van but we spend a lot of time outside exploring. We can even charge our EV towing vehicle from the van.
Grey Nomad times has often reported on gas fires in vans, let’s not forget that. My best friend an old school mate and a fellow caravanner some years ago saved a couple of Grey’s who had a gas fire in their van.
When will caravan makers stop using cheap Lithium-ion batteries. If van manufacturers used inferior brakes that destroyed vans, they would have a recall out pretty quick smart!
Also we don’t know if the battery(batteries) was mounted inside the van or outside.
It’s easy to give a verdict without knowing the facts.
This could have being caused by bad wiring set up?
Was the caravan destroyed by an electical fault or by a Lithium battery fire. The article stated the battery was lithium-ion, caravan lithium batteries are LiFePO4 a totally different chemistry. LiFePO4 batteries are known for their high safety profile, as they are less prone to thermal runaway and fire hazards compared to lithium-ion batteries.
Please do not think this comment is correct. LiFePO4 batteries are indeed classified as a Lithium Ion Battery, as are – Lithium Manganese Cobalt, Lithium nickel Cobalt Alum,.Oxide,Lithium Iron Manganese Oxide, Lithium Iron Cobalt and Lithium Titanate Oxide. They can suffer from thermal runaway in some circumstances.The important thing to remember is, if you have any lithium battery and it starts emitting fumes of any type, vacate the area immediately without breathing in any of the fumes, disconnect any power being fed to the battery and monitor the situation from a distance. Do not attempt to put out any resultant battery fire.
I have read that this fire was caused by a lithium iron battery in an e-bike that had been left on a charger. If this is true, this fire was not caused by the lithium storage batteries in the caravan.
The article says the caravan was a year old and worth $175,000! This was NOT a cheap caravan! It would surely have used the best quality LiFePo4 batteries!