New tool helps Tempe firefighters quickly extinguish EV fires [Video]

TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — There’s a new tool in the Tempe Fire Department’s arsenal that they hope will make the challenge of fighting electric vehicle fires a thing of the past. “It’s very easy to use and it way less kick back then any of our firehoses,” said Tempe Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Chris Snow.

It’s called the Coldcut Cobra, and like the reptile it references, it helps firefighters strike at the heart of a fire. “The biggest problem that we have when we fight these EV fires is getting penetration into the battery pack that’s underneath. Generally, it’s underneath the floorboards of the vehicles,” said Snow.

The souped-up power washer has two modes; the first mode uses water to cut a tiny hole in objects; the next then douses whatever is on the other side of the hole, like a burning car battery, with water.

They can use this device to …