Tiverton fire and police responded Tuesday afternoon to the Route 24 southbound on-ramp from Main Road for a reported vehicle fire that turned out to be a 12-foot underwater drone on a trailer.
Crews arrived at approximately 2:53 p.m. and found the drone actively on fire, according to a press release from the Tiverton Fire Department. The fire involved lithium-ion batteries contained within the drone.
Firefighters began suppression efforts and were able to control the visible fire. Due to the nature of lithium-ion battery incidents, crews continued to apply water to cool the batteries and prevent additional cells from entering thermal runaway, the department said.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management HazMat personnel and the regional HazMat team from the East Providence Fire Department were notified and responded to assist with the safe containment and mitigation of the lithium-ion batteries.
The Route 24 southbound on-ramp remained closed for approximately three hours as a result of the incident and response operations.
No injuries were reported.
The department thanked its partner agencies and the public for their patience.
