Firefighters Use 50k Gallons of Water to Douse Tesla Semi Fire
According to Fox 40, a Tesla Semi truck fire required an enormous 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish. The crash happened in August near Sacramento, California. Both lanes of I-80 were shut down as a result, and reopened 16 hours later.
The electric truck crashed after veering off the highway and hitting a tree, causing its massive lithium-ion battery to catch fire. Temperatures soared to 1,000°F, emitting toxic fumes and prompting firefighters to battle the blaze for hours. The Tesla’s battery creates 900 kilovolt-hours of power, and resulted in super heat that burned the surrounding area.
See coverage of the incident:
An aircraft also deployed fire retardant to contain the flames. Although no injuries were reported, the highway was closed for over 16 hours due to the extensive damage and ongoing fire hazard. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plans to release safety recommendations, focusing on the fire risks associated with large electric vehicle batteries.
Read more electric semi stories:
REPORT: Tesla’s Electric Semis Put to the Test — How Do They Really Perform?
WATCH: Tesla Semi Outpaces Diesel Truck on Donner Pass Climb
Tesla Recalls Semis for Brake Failure
