HOPE (6/10/2023) — An insurance company investigating the smoke from an electric vehicle that crashed in Hope on Memorial Day Weekend has determined that the fire source was not from the car itself. 

Saturday, May 27, a portion of Route 17 was closed, and Hope firefighters put on alert, when a car passing through the area from Augusta was seen swerving mildly a few times just prior to leaving the eastbound lane and continuing along the ditch of the opposite lane before coming to a stop in some bushes. In the backseat was a canvas bag with DeWalt batteries inside. The insurance company believes that the batteries were the actual cause for the fire, which was contained to the interior and burned the air bags. 

The afternoon was relatively warm and the vehicle’s windows remained closed, causing a possible environment for fumes.

Smoke from a car crash puts Hope Fire Department on alert

HOPE – It was reported as a single-vehicle crash on Route 17 in Hope. But when the Hope Deputy Fire Chief arrived as first on scene, he shared two key words with the ensuing emergency personnel. Because of the significance of those two words, HFD jumped into precaution mode. Those words were electric and fire.

At approximately 1:20 p.m., Sunday, May 28, an eastbound car left its lane as it approached 115 Main Street. It crossed the center line, plowed along through the ditch, possibly went airborne as it crossed the driveway’s entrance, and landed almost sideways in some bushes.

No skid marks could be seen, and the one occupant, who was injured but talking when responders arrived, was transported to Pen Bay Medical Center, leaving behind no answers as to what triggered the accident.

Causes, however, are not for the fire department to determine. Their job was to handle what was in front of them – a local example of the growing statistics surrounding electric vehicles and battery fires.

The deputy fire chief saw smoke, leading to the deductive reasoning that there was definitely fire at some point. As the literature says, put copious amounts of water on the fire. So that’s what fire fighters did.

“If they really get burning, it’s all we can do is just to keep baling the water to them,” said Hope Fire Chief Clarence Keller. “So we were getting prepared for that, in case that happened.”

In this case, HFD also had a second option. None of the windows had been breached yet. Fire needs three elements in order to thrive: fuel, heat, and oxygen. The FD chose to keep the car’s windows closed initially in hopes that the oxygen would be used up, quelling the fire.

“Fortunately, [the fire] never really did get going,” he said. “But, we wanted to be prepared. I don’t know if it’s because of what we did, or if it just really didn’t get going,” said Keller. “But, it worked.”

For slightly more than an hour, the portion of Route 17 around the crash site was closed, with Rockport PD blocking thru-traffic at Mt. Pleasant Street. Union FD closed the road on the other side of the scene. Occasionally a popping noise could be heard from around the car, which continued to randomly toot its horn while the windshield wipers unsolicitously wiped away a constant spray of fire water.

As a precaution, HFD continued spraying water on the vehicle as Camden Exxon hauled the car onto a flatbed wrecker. Rockport Engine 23 followed the wrecker to its shop in Rockport in case the flames rekindled.

Keller did not know what type of battery was in the car, nor the specific location of flames within the vehicle.

The car carried temporary license plates, which is the same situation for the St. George fire that completely engulfed an electric car in April.

Knox Regional Communications Center relayed information. North East Mobile Health transported the driver. Knox County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene. Union and Rockport fire departments helped, and the Camden Fire Chief stopped and provided assistance as well. 

The road was reopened to all traffic at approximately 2:35 p.m.

Reach Sarah Thompson a news@penbaypilot.com