Overview

• Homes in Nuenen were briefly evacuated overnight after toxic white smoke from a burning EV battery, with the fire brought under control around 03:15 as police opened an investigation.
• Crews requested an immersion tank because Eindhoven lacks one, and the vehicle must stay underwater to prevent re‑ignition once the pack cools.
• On Friday, the Midden‑ en West‑Brabant safety region used an ultra‑high‑pressure sand system operationally for the first time and reported a successful outcome in a Breda incident.
• The method pierces the battery housing with a ~300‑bar jet of fine sand to access and extinguish the cells at the core, typically taking about two hours versus roughly 30 minutes for conventional car fires.
• Immersion tanks often keep cars submerged for 24–48 hours and are limited to roughly 30–40 units nationwide, while a reported Chinese concept to eject an overheating battery is described as an impractical proof‑of‑concept.