A portion of US 95, northwest of Las Vegas in Nye County, stays shut down Tuesday night, a full 18 hours after two semi-trucks collided. One carried lumber, the opposite lithium-ion batteries that exploded into uncontainable flames.
This lithium-ion battery fireplace within the early hours of September 17 closed US 95 getting into Las Vegas for not less than 18 hours. (Picture: Nevada State Police Freeway Patrol)
Although neither driver was critically injured, lithium fires are among the many most treacherous roadway hazards. That’s as a result of they’re very tough to extinguish, they launch lethal fumes, they usually pose a major threat of self-reigniting.
Virtually all set off a sequence warmth response that finally ends up burning each battery within the payload.
Although the hearth is now extinguished, the freeway should stay closed till every time a hazmat crew finishes totally cleansing the hearth’s poisonous residue from the roadway.
With no different choices, police proceed diverting southbound site visitors to SR-160 and into Pahrump, Nev., including as much as two hours to each journey into Las Vegas from that course.
Enjoying With Hearth
That is the second lithium-ion battery fireplace to shut a Las Vegas freeway in lower than two months. And, imagine it or not, it’s a a lot better scenario.
Tens of hundreds of motorists trying to enter Las Vegas by way of Interstate 15 over the weekend of July 26 by no means made it. As a substitute, they discovered themselves caught on the principle artery from Southern California for full hours after a truck carrying 31K lbs. of lithium-ion batteries overturned and burned uncontrollably.
Tens of hundreds of Vegas-bound motorists on Interstate 15 had their holidays ruined over the weekend of July 26. (Picture: X/@ChloeKoast)
In an announcement to the media, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) acknowledged that each freeway accidents underscore the necessity for federal regulation of all lithium-ion battery transportation.
Final week, the congresswoman launched the Thermal Runaway Discount Act, which might mandate a most 30% cost for all lithium-ion batteries transported commercially by floor. This is able to match their necessities for air transportation.
With out higher regulation of the transport of those batteries, it is just a matter of time earlier than these accidents and ensuing fires take human lives,” Titus mentioned. “Moreover, the ensuing highway closures and the quantity of water wanted to extinguish these fires have important impacts on assets in our area.
“Congress must act rapidly to enact life-saving laws.”
