As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to accelerate, Fire & Rescue Services are increasingly responding to incidents involving lithium-ion battery fires which require significantly larger volumes of water and much longer cooling periods than conventional petrol or diesel vehicle fires.

Maintaining a continuous, prolonged water supply has therefore become a critical operational challenge — particularly when EV fires occur on rural roads, in remote locations or anywhere beyond the immediate reach of fire hydrants. Stronga's 10,000 litre hooklift water tender is designed to strengthen water supply during high-water-demand incidents. Read on to learn more.

Unlike conventional petrol or diesel vehicle fires, lithium-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway, requiring prolonged cooling with significantly larger volumes of water to reduce temperatures and minimise the risk of reignition. In many cases, EV battery fires can require 10–20 times more water than conventional vehicle fires, as illustrated by the chart below.

Where incidents require prolonged cooling with large volumes of water, conventional fire appliances can quickly exhaust their onboard water supply. Carrying over 10,000 litres of water, the FireBowsa provides a practical, cost-effective alternative for tackling EV fires while reducing the need to deploy additional high-cost frontline appliances.

Because FireBowsa units are available from approximately £30,000, fire services can deploy multiple units across their existing hooklift fleet, creating a continuous water shuttle between hydrants or open water sources and the EV incident, maintaining uninterrupted water supply throughout prolonged battery cooling operations.

Continuous high-capacity water shuttle operations – Maintain an uninterrupted supply of water between hydrants, open water sources and the incident, ensuring sustained cooling during prolonged EV battery fires and other high-water-demand emergencies.
Rapid filling from hydrants & static water sources – Optional high-flow Godiva-type pumps enable fast replenishment from hydrants, lakes, rivers and reservoirs, reducing turnaround times and keeping water flowing to the fireground.
Integrated firefighting & battery cooling – The same high-flow Godiva pump (other brands available) used for filling can also be deployed to extinguish the fire and provide sustained battery cooling, maximising operational capability from a single FireBowsa.
Supports prolonged, high-water-demand incidents – Ideal for EV battery fires, HGV fires, industrial incidents, wildfires and other emergencies where large volumes of water are required over extended periods.

Compatible with existing hooklift vehicles – Designed to integrate seamlessly with standard hooklift trucks and trailers, expanding water transport capacity without investing in additional specialist fire appliances.
Ground-demount capability for static water supply – Can be safely demounted at the incident, creating a dedicated water supply point while the hooklift vehicle collects another filled water bowser.
Potential for asset sharing between neighbouring authorities – Fully intermodal hooklift design allows FireBowsa units to be shared between stations and neighbouring fire services, strengthening regional resilience.
Significantly lower capital cost than additional fire appliances – Available from approximately £30,000 for the base specification, FireBowsa delivers 10,000+ litres of additional water capacity and integrated firefighting capability at a fraction of the cost of a conventional fire appliance.

As electric vehicle ownership continues to grow, so too does the importance of resilient, high-capacity water supply for prolonged battery fire incidents. Whether supporting EV fires in rural locations, industrial sites or remote road networks, FireBowsa equipment provides an affordable way to expand operational capability without expanding appliance fleets.

Speak to our team today to discuss your FireBowsa requirements and strengthen your service's response to high-water-demand incidents: enquiries@stronga.com