On February 25, a passenger's portable power bank caught fire on a China Southern Airlines flight. Fortunately, the plane had not yet taken off, and the crew handled the situation promptly and properly, preventing a further disaster.
After the incident, some netizens questioned the flight attendant's method of using bottled water to extinguish the fire, arguing that it was unprofessional and questioning why she didn't use a fire extinguisher.
What to do if a lithium battery catches fire on an airplane? Remember this, it could save your life!
In fact, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has detailed and clear regulations regarding the standard operating procedures for handling lithium battery fires on board aircraft, the first of which is:
Because of the inherent dangers of lithium batteries, fire extinguishers (halogenated hydrocarbons) cannot completely extinguish them; they can only extinguish external flames and prevent surrounding objects from burning. Water-filled fire extinguishers, on the other hand, can both extinguish open flames and have a cooling effect, making them the first choice for emergency response to lithium battery fires.
Therefore, the crew's handling of the situation was very professional and appropriate, and the fire was quickly extinguished as can be seen from the video.
In addition, the Civil Aviation Administration also stipulates:
- It is forbidden to use fire blankets or similar items to cover or wrap lithium batteries or devices containing lithium batteries to extinguish fires. It is forbidden to move or remove lithium batteries or devices containing lithium batteries that are on fire or smoking from luggage. It is forbidden to remove lithium batteries that are on fire, smoking, or heating from devices containing lithium batteries.
- After effectively extinguishing the fire, immediately spray water or other non-flammable liquids on the lithium battery, lithium battery-containing equipment, or related luggage to cool them down and prevent the lithium battery from reigniting.
-After confirming that the lithium battery or lithium battery-containing equipment has stabilized after cooling, personnel wearing personal protective equipment should use water-filled trash cans, ice buckets, or other auxiliary tools to move it to a low-risk area such as a lavatory, operating room, or lowest explosion risk zone, and designate cabin crew members.
Other netizens have provided explanations and evidence: The procedures, training manuals, and outlines for handling lithium battery fires on board require extinguishing the fire as quickly as possible. When providing catering services, the quickest way for flight attendants to handle such situations is to use a large bottle of mineral water, then place it in the bathroom sink, immerse it in cold water, and assign someone to supervise it.
