A Powerwall delivery truck flipped. No fire. No smoke. Seemed safe.They tossed those Powerwalls into a landfill. Four days later—explosion!That incident didn’t just make headlines; it changed Tesla’s fire strategy. In this Tactical Tuesday, retired Battalion Chief Kathleen McCaffery explains how that one mistake led Tesla to create a Global Fire Liaison role—and why every developer, EPC, and AHJ should borrow the playbook.Kathleen walks through the real science of lithium-ion incidents and the simple operational changes that stop projects from turning into disasters. It’s short, practical, and built for people who build.This episode is a rare peek behind the curtain of Tesla Energy’s fire safety strategy—and a must-listen for developers, installers, and fire safety professionals building battery storage projects in 2025 and beyond.You’ll learn:🔹 Why lithium-ion fires can reignite days later (delayed thermal runaway)🔹 Why the old rule “big fire, big water” fails—and what to do instead🔹 How misting/cooling tactics cut water use and cleanup time🔹 What Tesla got right (and what most companies still get wrong)🔹 A real-world miss that destroyed a facility—and how to prevent itFrom Australia’s mega sites to small-town stations, Kathleen’s job was to bridge battery tech and fire ops. Steal the lessons—and save yourself time, money, and a lot of risk.<h2>Quick Links / Timestamps (16:00)</h2>00:00 Landfill explosion: what really happened01:33 Why Tesla built a Global Fire Liaison04:05 “I thought I’d seen it all”—the hazmat wake-up call07:37 Global pushback on EVs/BESS & how training changed it10:16 Fire Triangle: why lithium-ion “creates its own oxygen”12:55 Misting > Big water (cooling beats smothering)13:52 Dev mistake that drives Kathleen nuts (and the fix)PSA: If you build solar + storage, share this with your safety lead and your local fire chief. Then listen to the full episode for the deeper playbook.Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: <a href="https://www.opensolar.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://suncast.media/opensolar</a>If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at <a href="https://suncast.media/episodes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://suncast.media/episodes/</a>.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is <a href="https://suncast.media/cps" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CPS America</a>!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at <a href="https://www.suncast.media/sponsors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.suncast.media/sponsors</a>.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 850 other founder stories and startup advice at <a href="https://www.suncast.media" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.suncast.media</a>.Subscribe to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Valence</a>, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/</a>You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:<a href="https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo</a><a href="https://my.captivate.fm/LinkedIn%20-%20https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus</a>

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