— A Tesla Semi truck caught fire in California, and the fire department used 50,000 gallons of water to put out the battery fire. At the same time, the California Fire Department used aircraft to drop fire retardant around the accident scene.
The 2024 Tesla Semi fire originated from a single-vehicle crash that occurred at 3:13 a.m. on August 19, 2024 on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, California.
The electric semi-trailer was not pulling a trailer when it left the road while traveling uphill on a right curve, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Tesla Semi truck was equipped with Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system, but National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the system was “inoperable” at the time of the accident.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board:
“The vehicle struck a traffic sign permanently mounted on a steel post, struck a tree approximately 12.5 inches in diameter, and continued down a dirt slope, resting against several trees. The vehicle’s lithium-ion battery system ignited after it left the roadway, resulting in the post-crash fire.”
The Tesla driver was not injured, but the Semi battery fire left almost no trace of the truck.
Investigators said the westbound and eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed for nearly 16 hours as firefighters used 50,000 gallons of water to put out the semi-trailer fire. The wreckage of the Tesla truck was taken to an open-air facility and monitored 24 hours a day.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Semi truck’s lithium-ion battery caught fire at temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit but did not reignite.
First responders also took air quality measurements to measure the harmful fumes produced by the burning battery pack.
In addition to safety experts from the National Transportation Safety Board, Tesla, the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are also involved in the investigation.
CarComplaints.com will update our site as additional details become available regarding the Tesla Semi fire investigation.
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