TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei firefighters trained for the Lunar New Year holiday by simulating an electric vehicle fire at an underground parking space of a department store Friday.

The drill was designed to improve the response to emergencies during the holiday period, per CNA. Firefighters and their equipment rushed to the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Diamond Towers shopping mall on Zhongxiao East Road for the exercise.

They simulated an EV fire because burning lithium batteries are notoriously difficult to extinguish, the Taipei Fire Department said. The drill featured specialized equipment such as fire blankets and remote-control robots.

Sixty firefighters and 13 vehicles were on hand for the training. In addition to extinguishing the blaze, the exercise also paid attention to the general management of disaster scenes.

Shopping malls are likely to be crowded during the Lunar New Year holiday, so the fire department called on the public to pay attention to the location and use of fire extinguishers and emergency exits.