An Aragonese invention achieves the world’s first control of electric battery fires without collateral damage

Spain has achieved a world milestone in firefighting thanks to an Aragonese product that guarantees the complete, safe, and collateral-free extinguishing of a fire caused by electric batteries. It’s Ecofire Fighting, a 100% environmentally friendly extinguishing agent invented by César Sallen, a native of Aragon, and developed by Simonrack, also from Aragon.

The test that corroborated this achievement was carried out at the Fast Parcmotor in Castellolí (Barcelona), where the product’s operation was demonstrated to companies such as Seat, Iberdrola , TMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Transport), Bombers de Barcelona EMT, and Aidive (Spanish Association of Electric Vehicle Chargers). The demonstration completely and safely extinguished a fire equivalent to that caused by high-end electric vehicle batteries (approximately 65 kilowatts) and an electric car parked in a parking lot, without causing any damage to the vehicle next to it. Ecofire is thus positioned as the only solution in the world capable of 
extinguishing lithium battery fires in electric vehicles and preventing their spread, even in closed spaces and where there is a risk of chain explosion. 

“The idea came about after a very serious fire in Spain in which several firefighters died. We needed to create a product that could be used to create firebreaks to save the lives of firefighters, people, and their property. A completely ecological product that would last over time and wouldn’t affect any vegetation or soil when it rained. It was initially developed for forest fires, but modifications have been made to allow it to be used on fuel and metal fires, such as those involving lithium batteries,” says César Sallen, inventor of Ecofire.

THE KEY: PREVENTING THE “DOMINO EFFECT” IN BATTERIES

On a technical level, Ecofire Fighting encapsulates fire and smoke with a 100% organic, biodegradable, and non-toxic liquid solution based on cellulose fiber and starch. It creates a thermal barrier that drastically reduces temperatures and stops the fire from spreading, allowing action closer to the source without endangering firefighters. Its effectiveness is 40 to 100 times greater than that of water and acts 6 to 10 times faster . Furthermore, it requires 8 to 20 times less product than water to extinguish a fire.

In the case of lithium battery fires, the product not only extinguishes the fire, it also prevents the “domino effect” of chain explosions by encapsulating the smoke and toxic gases that often trigger them. This is vital in environments such as electric vehicle parking lots, charging stations, factories or logistics centers with electric forklifts, or domestic environments with appliances, mobile phones, or scooters. 

A HISTORICAL DAY IN CASTELLOLÍ

The Barcelona demonstration was organized by Ecofire Global Distributor, with the collaboration of Acierta, TerrePower, Fast Emergències Castellolí, Ebara, and Pintado. Representatives from companies such as Seat, Ebro, TMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Transport), Aidive (Electric Vehicle Charger Association), the Aragon Fire Department, and the Barcelona Fire Department, among others, attended.

This 100% Spanish invention already has the support of companies such as Repsol, Iberdrola, and EMT Madrid and is beginning to be implemented in public administrations such as the Huesca Provincial Council , the Government of Aragon, and the Andalusian Regional Government.

“We’re making significant progress with several provincial and regional public administrations and entities. I’d like to emphasize that the EMT (Madrid Municipal Transport Company) was the first to support us. But I don’t want to forget the governments of Aragon, Andalusia, and many other regions with whom we’re making progress. It’s easier with private companies than with public ones because we demand much greater responsibility from them , and something as serious as the safety of people, animals, and plants requires a fairly long process,” explains Ibán Moreno, CEO of Simonrack.

Ecofire Fighting, in addition to Ecofire Bess and Ecofire Parking Control, also has domestic applications under the Ecofire Home brand. It extinguishes fires caused by short circuits, overheating, or electrical appliance failures. It also drastically reduces the risk of smoke poisoning by encapsulating the gases from the outset.

Its natural composition is not only harmless to people, animals, and plants, but also improves soil properties after use, aiding its regeneration. It does not generate waste nor does it accumulate in the ecosystem.