Fire Isolator concept demonstrated live in Skopje
Fire Isolator and regional partner Armor Plus demonstrate a complete approach to controlling EV and lithium-ion battery fires
A live demonstration in Skopje, North Macedonia, recently gave firefighters and fire-safety professionals the opportunity to see the complete Fire Isolator EV fire containment concept in action.
Organised by our own Dirk Silvius, together with our regional partner Armor Plus, the practical demonstration took place at the Territorial Fire Brigade in Skopje. The event focused on one of the growing challenges facing fire and rescue services worldwide: how to safely control an electric vehicle fire and, in particular, how to deal with a lithium-ion battery in thermal runaway.
Rather than relying on a single piece of equipment, Fire Isolator combines several tools and techniques into one coordinated approach. The live test in Skopje demonstrated the different stages of this concept and how they work together.
Containing the fire with the Fire Isolator Ultra blanket
The demonstration started with the deployment of our Fire Isolator Ultra fire blanket over the vehicle. The blanket is designed to contain and control the fire, reducing heat radiation and helping prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding vehicles and infrastructure.
An important feature of the Ultra blanket is its permeability. Instead of completely trapping gases underneath the blanket, it allows gases to escape in a more controlled manner. At the same time, water can pass through the blanket, allowing firefighters to continue cooling the vehicle while it remains covered.
A fire blanket is therefore not intended to extinguish thermal runaway inside an EV battery by itself. Its primary role within the Fire Isolator concept is to isolate the incident, control the fire and create time for the next steps of the intervention. This is consistent with Fire Isolator’s published approach to EV fire containment.
Suppressing the fire with aerosol units
The next part of the demonstration showed the deployment of Fire Isolator aerosol units underneath the blanket. The aerosol units are used to suppress flames and interrupt the chemical chain reaction of combustion, contributing to a reduction in fire intensity and temperature.
Used in combination with the blanket, the aerosols form an important second stage of the containment strategy.
Monitoring temperatures with thermal imaging
Throughout an EV fire intervention, knowing what is happening underneath the blanket is essential. During the demonstration, thermal imaging was used to monitor temperatures and identify whether the vehicle and battery were cooling or whether temperatures were beginning to rise again.
This information helps firefighters determine the appropriate next step instead of relying solely on what can be seen from outside the vehicle. Temperature monitoring is therefore an integral part of the Fire Isolator method.
Cooling with water mist
The demonstration also showed how water mist can be applied both around and underneath the vehicle to reduce temperatures.
Water mist can be used in conjunction with the permeable Ultra blanket, allowing firefighters to cool the vehicle while maintaining containment. The objective is to bring temperatures down, reduce heat exposure and create safer conditions for responders and the surrounding environment.
Direct battery cooling with the EV Fire Gun
Finally, the demonstration showed the Fire Isolator EV Fire Gun, which takes the intervention one step further.
Where necessary, the EV Fire Gun can penetrate the battery compartment so that water can be introduced directly into the battery pack. This enables firefighters to cool the cells at the source and address continuing thermal runaway rather than only cooling the outside of the vehicle. Fire Isolator identifies battery penetration and flushing as one of the methods for dealing directly with continuing thermal runaway and reducing the risk of reignition.
One concept, multiple tools
The Skopje demonstration illustrated an important principle behind Fire Isolator: there is no single-product solution to an EV battery fire.
The concept combines containment, suppression, monitoring and cooling, followed, when required, by direct intervention at battery level. The blanket, aerosol units, thermal imaging equipment, water mist applicators and EV Fire Gun each have a specific role within that process.
The objective is to give professional responders the tools to take control of the incident, minimise collateral damage and create the time and conditions needed to manage the vehicle safely.
We would like to thank our Fire Isolator partner Armor Plus, the Territorial Fire Brigade in Skopje and everyone who participated in the demonstration. Armor Plus also thanked the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its support of the event.
As electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries become increasingly common, practical training and live demonstrations such as this one are essential. Seeing the complete concept operate under realistic conditions helps firefighters understand not only which tools are available, but how and when they can be used together.