ERIE, Colo. (KDVR) — Fire crews had a close call on Tuesday when the battery in a hybrid Jeep exploded after firefighters put water on the smoking vehicle.
It happened in Erie’s Morgan Hill neighborhood around 8:16 a.m. Mountain View Fire Rescue released an account of what happened after crews showed up for reports of a fire.
Firefighters did not see smoke from outside the home on Marlowe Circle, but they eventually found it coming from a secondary garage, the fire department said.
“A Jeep Wrangler 4xe hybrid was smoking and when crews started putting water on the vehicle, there was a small explosion,” Mountain View Fire said. “As the garage door was blown off its tracks, it just missed a Mountain View Fire Rescue captain, as it flew about 30 feet into the yard.”
They said no firefighters were hurt. Besides the far-flung garage door, the home sustained “very minor” damage from the incident.
“It was a scary moment for our crews this morning on a call in Erie,” the fire department tweeted.
Mountain View Fire said investigators are working to learn what happened, including through an inspection of the electrical system and vehicle “in full detail.”
Jeep Wrangler 4xe recalled for 2022-23 model
Mountain Fire Fire did not release specific details about the Wrangler 4xe, like what year the model is. The 2022-23 model was recalled for battery power failure.
The high-voltage battery pack in the 2022-2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe has incorrect fasteners to secure the 200-amp fuse, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The wrong fastener can cause high resistance in the fuse interface, generate excessive heat and potentially cause the fuse to fail.