Connect with us

Florida

‘Now is the time to act’: Florida battling lithium-ion battery fires as more electric vehicles hit the roads

Published

on

‘Now is the time to act’: Florida battling lithium-ion battery fires as more electric vehicles hit the roads


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – The state of Florida is developing new standards for managing lithium-ion battery fires.

State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said new rules are needed because electric vehicles and other devices like e-scooters and e-bikes are becoming more common.

“The danger is known. It is real. Now is the time to act,” Patronis said during a news conference in Orlando.

The Department of Financial Services began making rules Thursday to develop standards for managing lithium-ion battery fires. Patronis said having standards for handling these fires is critical for Florida because electric vehicles can catch fire shortly after a hurricane.

Advertisement

“These heavily metalized saltwater create bridges on these batteries and they short out. And when they short out they will create a cascade effect,” Patronis said.

Patronis said 20 EVs caught fire after Hurricane Ian in 2022. Florida Professional Firefighters President Bernie Bernoska said firefighter safety needs to be looked at more than just trying try put out these fires.

“Beyond the challenge of simply extinguishing these fires, there’s also another danger that is sometimes overlooked and deals with the harmful cancer-causing gases produced during a lithium battery fire incident,” Bernoska said.

In addition to creating state rules, Patronis is encouraging Congress to pass federal standards for lithium batteries.

“We’ve got to be sensitive to where the problems lie that have not yet been fully discovered or factored in how to deal with these technologies,” Patronis said.

Advertisement

It could take nine months to a year to develop the state standards.



Source link

Florida

‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say

Published

on

‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say


VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you felt shaking along Florida’s east coast on Thursday, you’re not alone. But it wasn’t an earthquake.

A strong “experimental explosion” was reported in the waters off Central Florida on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS website indicates that the explosion happened around 3:04 p.m., roughly 91 miles east-northeast of Ponce Inlet.

Experimental explosion

Per the agency, the event registered a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. However, few other details about what may have caused the explosion have been provided at this time.

Advertisement

“The recorded ground motions from this event are more typical of an explosion than a naturally occurring earthquake,” the USGS website reads. “The Navy has conducted Full Ship Shock Trials in this region in the past.”

[A LOOK BACK: U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford performs shock trials on an aircraft carrier in 2021]

News 6 has reached out to Navy officials for more information and is awaiting additional details.

Anyone who felt the impact of the explosion is urged to report their experience here.

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Florida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video

Published

on

Florida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video


Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his mission to transform the abandoned Green Mountain College in Vermont into “Z University,” a Christian college. Zito’s goal is to train future leaders in evangelism, business, government, and music. He plans for the college to be fully operational by August 2027, emphasizing the need for godly institutions to counter current educational trends.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says

Published

on

Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A parasite that causes extreme diarrhea, seen in recent outbreaks across the country, has been documented in over 20 counties in Florida. But experts say there could be more cases than what has been reported.

According to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, 50 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the state since May 1.

“This infectious disease may be hard to monitor due to the nature of the signs and symptoms,” said Dr. Norman Beatty, an associate professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at UF Health Shands. “It’s common to get a diarrheal illness at times, and other infectious diseases can resolve on their own, but cyclosporiasis is important to identify right now because there are multiple outbreaks across the country.”

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the parasite cyclospora, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Advertisement

[WATCH: Parasitic infection spreading across states, including Florida]

Once a case is confirmed through testing, a report is sent to the state department of health. But if someone doesn’t seek medical attention, the case could go unreported, Beatty said.

There could be a six-week reporting lag between illness onset and reporting, according to the CDC.

Since May 1, the federal agency has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis but is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis, the CDC stated Tuesday.

In Florida since May 1, DOH data shows Lee County has seen the most cyclosporiasis cases with nine, followed by Miami-Dade with six and Broward with five.

Advertisement

Other counties with cases include: Alachua, Brevard, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter and Volusia.

In Alachua County, Beatty said he has seen several cases at UF Health Shands, which doctors believe stemmed from eating produce.

Previous outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw produce, like lettuce and raspberries.

According to DOH data, Alachua County has seen one case of cyclosporiasis in June. But the department’s data is 10 days out of date, according to DOH’s website. The last day cases were uploaded to the report was July 4. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s data on Florida undercounts DOH’s data, with only 11-30 reported sick people in the state.

In most scenarios, people who get cyclosporiasis will recover on their own. But in some cases, people can have persistent symptoms and relapsing infections over time, so any suspected cases should be tested, Beatty said.

Advertisement

Direct human-to-human transmission is rare, he said, but if infected, people could shed the parasite into the environment, where it could become infectious again within a week or two, contributing to another outbreak.

“It’s a very hardy parasite,” he said.

The outbreak was first reported in Michigan on July 1, with other outbreaks later reported in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, according to the CDC.

While 34 states, including Florida, have reported cases, the source of the outbreak is still unknown.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending