A fire at the basement car park of Johor Bahru City Square on Tuesday sparked speculation online that an electric vehicle (EV) was responsible for the incident.
However, the Johor Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA) has refuted claims that the fire originated from an EV. As reported by BERNAMA, preliminary investigations found that the fire is believed to have started from a 4×4 vehicle.
The fire broke out at Basement 2 of the shopping mall at around 3.40pm on 6 October. The incident involved 11 vehicles, with eight reportedly suffering between 80% and 90% damage, two others suffered damage between 20% and 30% and one vehicle with about 10% damage.
Three women also experienced breathing difficulties, with one taken to hospital for further treatment.
BOMBA: Fire believed to have started from a 4×4, not an EV
Following online speculations about the type of vehicle involved, BOMBA clarified that the vehicle believed to have started the fire was not an EV.
Instead, they point to a 4×4 vehicle as the source of the fire. At this stage, the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The firefighting operation involved 52 personnel from the Larkin, Tebrau and Kempas Fire and Rescue Stations, the Ulu Tiram Volunteer Fire Brigade and the mall’s Emergency Response Team.
As seen in the video shared by Careta, an EV was parked at the scene but the fire appears to have originated from the pickup truck parked between pillar M24 and M25.
Whether it is an EV, petrol or diesel, a fire is a fire
When it comes to insurance coverage, the type of vehicle that started the fire does not automatically determine whether the building is covered.
The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) previously told SoyaCincau that standard fire insurance coverage is based on the fire itself rather than whether it was caused by an EV, petrol or diesel vehicle.
PIAM CEO Chua Kim Soon said, “So fire is a fire. It goes through the same phase, whether it is caused by an EV or caused by a short circuit. So if you have a fire policy protecting the building, then if there’s a fire even from an EV, that’s being covered. You need to make sure that the value for the building is adequately insured.”
Following the EV-related house fire in Alam Damai, Cheras in August, PIAM also reiterated that standard Houseowner and Fire insurance policies generally cover fire damage regardless of the ignition source, subject to the respective policy’s terms, conditions and exclusions.
In short, an EV fire is not automatically excluded from fire insurance coverage simply because there’s an EV involved.
However, PIAM highlighted the importance of electrical safety and professional installation of EV chargers. It mentioned that illegal or uncertified electrical modifications and installations are examples of potential non-compliance.
Data shows EVs are less likely to catch fire compared to Petrol and Hybrids
Despite the attention EV fires tend to receive, BOMBA has previously cited overseas data showing that petrol and hybrid vehicles record a higher rate of fires than EVs.
BOMBA Director-General Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad cited studies which recorded 1,530 fires for every 100,000 gasoline vehicles (1.53%) and 3,475 fires for every 100,000 hybrid vehicles (3.48%).
By comparison, the cited data recorded just 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs (0.025%).
Nor Hisham said: “Generally, there is less risk, but if a battery catches fire, it is more difficult to extinguish.”
That distinction is important. EV battery fires can be more challenging for firefighters once thermal runaway occurs, but the data shows that it does not support the assumption that EVs are more likely to catch fire.
In 2025, there are 3,819 vehicle fires in Malaysia which is equivalent to 10.46 fires per day. However, for EV fires, there are 25 incidents recorded in the past 3 years which is equivalent to 8.33 per year.
In case you missed it, check out our Let’s Talk About episode about EV fires and insurance coverage below.
