Overview
As electric and hybrid vehicles become increasingly common on UK roads, recovery operators are dealing with a new type of fire risk linked to lithium-ion batteries. EV battery fire incidents do not behave like traditional vehicle fires and can be very hard to control and stabilise.
Fire Cloak™ provides a practical, high performance containment solution for a suspected EV fire incident, helping protect crews, recovery vehicles, equipment and operational continuity during roadside callouts and depot-based incidents.
Vehicle recovery reality: What makes EV incidents harder here
Recovery teams operate in unpredictable environments – roadside, motorway hard shoulders, busy urban streets and confined locations – often with limited control over traffic flow, lighting and access. EVs involved in breakdowns or collisions may also carry hidden battery fire risk, particularly where vehicles are damaged, immobilised or have been impacted underneath.
If a battery incident escalates into thermal runaway, it can be prolonged and difficult to stabilise, with the risk of re-ignition. That matters in recovery, because risk can emerge at several points: during loading, in transit, or after a vehicle has been dropped into a yard or holding area.
As EV recovery callouts increase, operators need a practical way to isolate a suspected battery incident quickly – whether at the roadside, on a flatbed, or in storage. Acting early helps protect crews, limit damage to recovery vehicles and equipment, and reduce disruption to depot operations.
What a controlled response requires
In recovery environments, EV containment needs to support mobile, fast-moving operations while aligning with workplace safety requirements, roadside risk assessments and insurer requirements – without adding complexity.
A controlled response typically depends on:
- Containment equipment available where it’s needed – on recovery vehicles and at depots
- A deployment approach that works in low-light, confined or high-traffic roadside conditions
- Clear fit with existing recovery procedures, traffic management and emergency protocols
- Storage that keeps equipment protected, visible and “grab-and-go” ready
- Independent performance evidence (testing/certification) that gives confidence
- Simplicity – so trained operatives can act quickly under pressure
How Fire Cloak™ fits into recovery operations
Fire Cloak™ EV Fire Blankets are engineered and manufactured in the UK, built for demanding environments where access, speed and safety matter — including roadside incidents, flatbed loading, transport and vehicle storage yards.
Fire Cloak™ is independently tested and certified to DIN SPEC 91489:2024-11, with additional testing aligned to relevant ISO and BSI standards. For recovery operators, that means a proven containment option that can be carried on vehicles or positioned at depots, accessed quickly, and deployed by trained teams to help isolate an incident in uncontrolled or high-risk situations – with performance verified independently.
Typical use cases in vehicle recovery environments
Typical recovery service use cases include:
- Roadside breakdown and accident recovery involving EVs
- Recovery vehicle loading and unloading operations
- Transport of damaged or immobilised EVs
- Vehicle storage yards and holding areas
- Quarantine zones for suspect or damaged EVs
Deployment overview
Rapid access matters in recovery, where vehicles are damaged, incidents can develop quickly and conditions may be uncontrolled. Fire Cloak™ can be supplied in robust storage solutions suitable for storage on recovery vehicles or at fixed locations at depots.
A typical deployment can be carried out quickly by trained recovery operatives as follows:
- Retrieve the blanket from its designated storage location.
- Assess the scene and prepare deployment in line with roadside safety and recovery procedures.
- Deploy the blanket over the vehicle to help isolate the incident and limit heat/smoke spread.
- Continue response actions in coordination with emergency services and existing emergency protocols, where required.
Frequently asked questions
If you have a specific question about Fire Cloak™ for recovery service applications that isn’t answered here, please get in touch with our team for tailored advice.
Next steps
If you operate a vehicle recovery or roadside assistance service and increasingly respond to electric or hybrid vehicle incidents, Fire Cloak™ can support your EV fire preparedness with a practical containment solution designed for real-world recovery conditions.
