A massive blaze tore through a warehouse in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, early on 28 November 2025, destroying around 50 high-end vehicles, including many electric cars, and raising fresh concerns about the hazards posed by lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.
The fire, which engulfed a storage facility used to house cars awaiting service, broke out at approximately 08:00 hrs, quickly consuming the structure and the vehicles inside. Firefighters from multiple districts were deployed to battle the inferno, which took more than an hour to bring under control.
Preliminary investigation suggests the blaze may have started with an electrical short circuit inside the warehouse, where rows of luxury vehicles, notably about 45 Tesla electric vehicles, alongside around five supercars were parked.
While authorities continue to pinpoint the exact cause, this incident underscores a growing safety concern: lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles can intensify fires once they ignite. Lithium-ion chemistry, while efficient and energy-dense, is known to be susceptible to thermal runaway a chain reaction where overheating in one cell can rapidly spread to adjacent cells, elevating temperatures and fire intensity.
Fires involving lithium-ion batteries are relatively rare compared with conventional vehicle fires, but when they occur, they present distinct challenges for emergency responders. Intense heat, rapid fire spread, and toxic gases can complicate suppression efforts and increase the danger to first responders.Â
At the warehouse site, firefighters faced fierce flames that destroyed most of the vehicles and even damaged one local fire truck during suppression efforts. Initial assessments place the total losses at roughly 190 million baht or more, factoring in both luxury automobiles and the depot infrastructure.
No casualties have been reported so far, but images from the scene revealed charred remains of electric cars alongside internal combustion vehicles. The presence of exploding lithium-ion battery packs has become a focal point of the ongoing investigation, as some crews reported battery-related explosions during firefighting efforts.
The company that owns the warehouse has pledged to fully compensate affected customers and cooperate with insurers and investigators as authorities piece together how the blaze escalated so rapidly.
Broader Safety Implications
This fire adds to global discussions about electric vehicle safety, especially in high-density storage and transport environments. Lithium-ion batteries, while essential for the transition to electric mobility, require stringent safety protocols, including proper storage, thermal management, and emergency response planning, to mitigate risks.Â
As EV adoption grows worldwide, experts say incidents like the Nonthaburi warehouse fire highlight the need for enhanced battery safety standards and better preparedness for managing large-scale lithium-ion battery fires.
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