Extinguish the Lithium Fire

There has been vigorous debate about the threat of lithium fires and the appropriate response to the event and the post event. There is no doubt in my mind that the threat to Aviation from lithium fires in Personal Electronic Devices (PED’s) has worsened due to the amount of Lithium batteries carried on our airplanes and the issues specific to both the computer chassis construction and available extinguishing agent aboard most aircraft.

From my own aviation experience I believe that the only credible response is to extinguish the fire and find a means of containing for disposal the PED that led to the event. The idea of a crew member trying to harness a fire within a containment device before it is extinguished seems overly risky to me. In fact I don’t know of any product on the market today that would advocate grabbing a fully engulfed, raging fire and extinguishing it elsewhere. Firefighters on the ground won't harness a fire in an apparatus and extinguish it later, why would we think to that in an airplane?

Firefighters on the ground won't harness a fire in an apparatus and extinguish it later, why would we think to do that in an airplane?

SpectrumFX the maker of the LIFE Kit with a biodegradable extinguishing agent that will extinguish a lithium fire is now partnered with Aircare International the maker of the FireSock™. That relationship goes much further than selling two compatible safety devices. With years of experience of Aircare International in the aviation training field we feel that we can now comfortably offer a flight department the real answer in life saving products backed by tried and true crew training.

While technology and times change we have at our disposal right now a low cost response to the new age lithium fire threat aboard our aircraft.