Kia EV6 catches fire in Geumsan County parking garage

Another EV-related fire was reported on Tuesday, less than a week after a Mercedes-Benz EV exploded in Incheon.

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze that broke out from an EV car in a parking lot in South Chungcheong. [NEWS1]

Yet another EV-related blaze broke out in Geumsan County, South Chungcheong, following a Mercedes-Benz EV explosion in an underground parking lot in Incheon a week ago.

The police have identified the vehicle involved as a Kia EV6 model.

Residents reported flames in a parking lot to police and fire stations around 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Fire authorities dispatched 35 firefighters and 12 apparatuses, including some fire trucks, to extinguish the blaze. It was brought under control after an hour and 37 minutes, with no reported casualties.

The fire department took measures to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles and moved the EV out of the parking garage during the firefighting process to minimize additional damage.

"I parked and plugged in the charger around 7 p.m. the previous day," said the vehicle’s owner, a man in his 50s.

Police and fire authorities will launch a joint inspection to determine the exact cause, while suspecting a battery defect. "Smoke began to emerge from the area where the batteries are located under the vehicle, which then might have caught fire," a police official stated. "The exact cause of the fire will be identified through the joint inspection."

On last Thursday, a suspected EV fire broke out in the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Incheon at around 6:15 a.m. A total of 23 people, including 22 residents and one firefighter, were hospitalized. Approximately 40 vehicles were burned, and around 100 others suffered heat and smoke damage. Fire authorities deployed 177 firefighters and 80 apparatuses, including ventilation vehicles, to fully extinguish the blaze after eight hours and 20 minutes.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]