“Fire Ops teams were dispatched at approximately 09:00, where they encountered an intense blaze inside a container housing two 300kWh lithium-ion battery racks,” said Koekemoer.

“Despite nearly two hours of conventional firefighting methods, the fire continued to escalate — a behaviour typical of lithium-ion thermal runaway.”

With temperatures reaching 3,000°C, and the risk of further escalation increasing, Fire Ops called in Fireblock, which specialises in lithium-ion battery fire suppression. Koekemoer attended the scene personally.

“A 2,000-litre unit of Fireblock Lithium Gel was applied to the batteries to control the fire, followed by 8,000 litres of Fireblock Forest to keep the surrounding area cool and prevent any reignition,” said Koekemoer.

“By the time Fireblock arrived, all personnel had been safely evacuated, and the scene was under strict control.”

Koekemoer says that Fireblock Lithium Gel is a South African invention, created by him, which is now used in 38 countries.

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