Fire After a Flood: Don't Let Your Tesla Burn Your House Down

I need to tell you something that sounds absolutely crazy until you see it happen to someone you know.

Three of our friends lost their homes after recent hurricanes. Not TO the hurricane. AFTER it. The water receded, they thought the worst was over, and then their houses caught fire.

The cause? Lithium batteries that had been submerged in saltwater.

If you drive a Tesla (or any EV), have an e-bike in your garage, or just own the normal amount of cordless power tools that every household seems to accumulate, please keep reading.

Why Saltwater + Lithium Batteries = Fire

Here's the science in plain English:

When saltwater (storm surge, coastal flooding, hurricane flooding) contacts lithium batteries, it triggers a chemical reaction. Seawater is about 1,000 times more conductive than fresh water. This causes short circuits, rapid corrosion, and heat buildup inside the battery.

The scary part? This heat buildup — called "thermal runaway" — can happen days or even weeks after the water recedes. You think the danger is over. Then your garage catches fire at 2 AM.

Florida's State Fire Marshal called flooded lithium batteries "ticking time bombs." And the data backs him up:

• After Hurricane Ian: 36 EVs that had been flooded in saltwater caught fire — including some that were being towed on flatbed trailers AFTER the storm
• After Hurricane Helene: 11 electric cars and 48 lithium batteries caught fire from saltwater exposure
• Last hurricane season in Florida: 85 lithium battery fires statewide, 17 were EVs, the rest were e-bikes, scooters, golf carts, and power tools

This isn't rare. This is happening.

Drive a Tesla or EV? This Is Especially Important for You

A lot of you drive Teslas. Many of you have EVs. This section is for you.

Electric vehicle batteries are essentially massive lithium battery packs. If your garage floods with saltwater during a hurricane, that beautiful Model Y becomes a serious fire hazard — and not just during the storm. The fire can start days or weeks later.

This applies to ALL electric and hybrid vehicles — Tesla, Rivian, Ford Lightning, Chevy Bolt, Prius, everything with a lithium battery pack.

It's Not Just Your Car (Walk Through Your Garage With Me)

Here's what I want you to do: mentally walk through your garage and count the lithium batteries.

In Your Garage:

• Your kids' electric scooters (yes, those)
• E-bikes
• Power tools — drills, saws, impact drivers (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita... all of them)
• Electric lawn equipment
• Jump starter packs
• Golf cart batteries

In Your Home:

• Laptops and tablets
• Portable phone chargers and power banks
• Cordless vacuum cleaners
• Bluetooth speakers
• Drones
• Kids' toys (remote control cars, gaming devices)
• Backup battery systems / UPS units

The Ones You Forget:

• That purse sitting on the floor with a power bank inside
• Backpacks by the door with tablets
• Your kid's bag with their devices

That's a LOT of potential fire starters if saltwater reaches them.

What You Can Do RIGHT NOW

Store lithium batteries UP HIGH — not on the garage floor, not in low cabinets. High shelves. This should be your default, not just before a storm.

Know where your batteries are — do a mental inventory this week.

Before evacuating for a hurricane:

• Move EVs to higher ground, AWAY from structures
• Elevate or take battery-powered devices with you
• At minimum, get everything off the floor

After saltwater flooding:

• Do NOT re-enter your home until cleared
• Do NOT try to charge or use any device that was submerged
• Dispose of flooded batteries properly — don't throw them in regular trash

Important Clarification: This Is Primarily a SALTWATER Risk

I want to be clear about something: this documented fire risk is primarily associated with SALTWATER flooding — storm surge, coastal flooding, hurricanes that bring ocean water inland.

Freshwater flooding (rivers, heavy rain) can certainly damage lithium batteries and you shouldn't use devices that have been submerged. But the dramatic fire risk — the "ticking time bomb" scenario — is documented specifically with saltwater because of how conductive it is.

If you're in a coastal area, hurricane zone, or anywhere prone to storm surge, this should be a priority in your planning. If you're dealing with freshwater river flooding, the risk is lower (though you should still be cautious with submerged devices).

Tools That Help

While we're talking flood preparedness:

Orbit 26097 Emergency Shutoff Tool (~$12-15) — Shuts off your gas and water at the meter. Store it with your go bags, not outside where it rusts.

4-in-1 Emergency Tool (~$25-30) — What fire departments use. Gas shutoff, water shutoff, pry bar, debris claw.

BN-LINK Timer Outlet (~$10-15) — For preventing lithium battery overcharging. Simple fire prevention that works year-round.

The Bottom Line

Three of our friends lost their homes — not to the hurricane, but to fires that started afterward because nobody thought about the batteries in the garage.

Take 10 minutes this weekend:

1. Walk through your garage and identify lithium batteries
2. Move them to higher storage NOW
3. Make a plan for what to grab or elevate before you evacuate
4. If you have an EV, know where you'd move it if a hurricane is coming

Small steps. Big difference. 💙