Electric fire trucks did not factor in response to deadly LA blazes

"45 of the LA fire trucks have to return to the barn a day to recharge their electric batteries for 10 hours instead of just gassing up and fighting fires," a January 19, 2025 Facebook post said. "Just another reason electric vehicles are worthless in an emergency."

Similar claims about the Los Angeles fire truck fleet circulated widely on Facebook and X, the latest posts questioning the safety of electric vehicles and their utility in extreme circumstances.

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A screenshot of a Facebook post taken on February 11, 2025

The wildfires, which erupted around January 7, ravaged Los Angeles County, killing about 30 people, and destroying more than 10,000 homes.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said his crews struggled with the scale and speed of the January fires, fueled by intense Santa Ana winds -- and additional water trucks were required as the city's water systems came under pressure.

But claims that using multiple electric fire trucks slowed the response to the situation are false. 

A Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesperson told AFP on February 3 that the department only has one electric fire truck in its fleet and it was out of service throughout January when the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires ravaged Los Angeles County and burned some 37,000 acres (150 square kilometers).

The department acquired the electric fire engine, manufactured by the Austria-based firm Rosenbauer, in 2022 (archived here) and it is used by Station 82 in Hollywood.

"The truck has an onboard generator that prevents it from becoming depleted," they said. The energy backup system through a diesel engine is deployed during extended journeys or training sessions.

Rosenbauer also confirmed that the claims made on social media were inaccurate.

"The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) currently operates one Rosenbauer RTX electric fire engine -- the only electric fire engine in their fleet," Todd McBride, a company program manager said on February 12.

He said the truck can be recharged to full capacity in as little as 20 to 30 minutes, contrary to the claim of 10 hours.

When in operation, the truck's onboard generator activates automatically when the battery drops below 20 percent, he said.

The LA County's Coordinated Joint Information Center also told AFP on February 4 that the County of Los Angeles Fire Department -- which serves unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County -- does not have electric fire engines or electric fire trucks in its fleet.

The Los Angeles fires were the focus of widespread disinformation, with conspiratorial claims and AI-generated images rocketing across social media.

See more of AFP's reporting on claims about wildfires here.