Bomba: EV Fire NOT Charging-Related But A Wake-Up Call

The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) has reminded electric vehicle owners and installers that EV chargers must be sourced from approved suppliers and installed in line with recognised safety standards.

According to The Star, department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said charging equipment should only come from suppliers recognised by the Energy Commission (ST), and must meet specific technical requirements to safeguard users and property.

He said EV charger installations are required to comply with MS IEC 61851 and MS IEC 62196 standards, which fall under the commission’s regulatory oversight.

The reminder comes after a recent incident involving two electric vehicles that caught fire while parked at a residential home, causing damage to part of the house. No injuries were reported.

A Facebook post by the Damansara Fire and Rescue Department which has since been taken down identified detailed that the firefighters managed to bring the fire under control in a short period by using water.

Nor Hisham said early findings showed that neither vehicle was being charged at the time of the incident, dispelling claims that the fire was triggered by an active charging session or charging equipment.

He added that the fire is believed to have broken out several hours after charging had already ended, suggesting the charging process itself was unlikely to be the direct cause.

A police report lodged by the vehicle owner widely circulated online stated that the fire was believed to have started from the EV on the right before spreading to the second vehicle and parts of the house. Observations at the scene and the speed at which the fire was extinguished indicated that both vehicles' high-voltage batteries may not have been compromised.

The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined and remains under investigation. As with most vehicle fire cases, the final findings are typically shared only with insurers and vehicle owners, and may NEVER be disclosed publicly.

Although the incident was not linked to charging, authorities and industry groups continue to stress that home charging safety deserves close attention as EV ownership grows.

Nor Hisham noted that existing regulations are mainly focused on public charging infrastructure. Any move to extend legal requirements or protections to private home chargers would need to be proposed through the National EV Steering Committee under the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI).

Back in Sept, Bomba stated there was only 27 EV and hybrid fire cases between 2023 and July this year, averaging about 10 incidents annually.

TNB said its investigations found that problems often arose when home chargers were operated at full output on single-phase supplies without proper assessment of household electrical load.

TNB explained that a typical single-phase home with an existing 5 kW load cannot safely support a 7 kW charger unless the supply is upgraded to three-phase, which better distributes demand and reduces the risk of overheating.

For homes that remain on single-phase supply, EV owners are advised to lower charging current settings on their vehicles, reducing output from around 32A to about 20A. This provides roughly 4 kW of charging power, which is generally sufficient for overnight charging while placing less stress on household wiring.

Malaysia Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC) president Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi said the association has been working closely with the ST, TNB and certified installers to improve the safety of home charging setups.

He said clear guidelines are already in place, and that only certified “competent persons” should be engaged to assess electrical capacity and recommend suitable equipment.

Shahrol also advised owners to install smoke detectors near charging points and to carry out periodic inspections, noting that loose wiring connections can develop over time and increase the risk of overheating.