Tesla Semi Goes Up in Flames in California: Why Electric Truck Fires Are More Dangerous Than You Think

A fire has started in the Tesla electric truck, Semi.

The fire occurred at approximately 3:16 AM on Monday along Interstate 80 in the Emigrant Gap area of Placer County, California. The highways were closed for several hours due to the fire.

Local firefighters, who responded immediately after the fire broke out, struggled to extinguish the flames. They faced challenges due to toxic gases and intense flames by the burning batteries. Firefighters noted that “breathing was even dangerous” because of the poisonous fumes.

Despite the fire occurring outdoors, the massive flames and toxic gases resulted from the relatively large Semi’s battery pack.

The Semi, Tesla’s large electric truck model, comes in a standard version that can travel about 540 kilometers (280 miles) and a long-range version that can exceed 800 kilometers (500 miles). It is unclear which model caught fire, but if it was the long-range model, its battery pack capacity is estimated to be around 900 kWh, weighing approximately 5 tons (11,000 pounds). This is ten times larger than the typical electric 75-85 kWh battery.

Surveys conducted in Australia, Norway, and Sweden show that fire incidents in EVs are less common than in internal combustion engine vehicles. However, when fires do occur in electric cars, the consequences can be more severe. If a thermal runaway event causes the battery to heat up to over 1,000°C (1,832°F), extinguishing the fire becomes significantly more challenging than with internal combustion vehicle fires. The battery pack can emit flammable vapor clouds, potentially leading to explosive fires.

Furthermore, the location of the protective casing surrounding the battery complicates firefighting efforts even further. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and Tesla has not issued a public statement regarding this incident.