— A California Tesla Semi truck fire took 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the battery fire while CAL FIRE used an aircraft to drop fire retardant around the crash site.
The 2024 Tesla Semi fire resulted from an August 19, 2024, 3:13 a.m. single vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, California.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the electric Semi wasn't pulling a trailer when the truck went off the road while traveling uphill around a right-hand curve.
The Tesla Semi was equipped with Tesla's advanced driver assistance system, but NTSB investigators say the system "could not be engaged" at the time of the crash.
According to the NTSB:
"The vehicle struck a traffic delineator permanently mounted on a steel post, collided with a tree about 12.5 inches in diameter, and continued down an earthen slope to rest against several trees. The vehicle’s lithium-ion electric battery system ignited after the roadway departure, resulting in a postcrash fire."
The Tesla driver escaped without injuries, but the Semi battery fire barely left any evidence of the truck.
Investigators say westbound and eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed nearly 16 hours as firefighters covered the Semi fire with 50,000 gallons of water. What was left of the Tesla truck was transported to an open-air facility and monitored for 24 hours.
The NTSB says the Semi's lithium-ion battery fire, which reached temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, did not reignite.
First responders took air quality measurements to measure any harmful fumes from the burning battery pack.
In addition to safety experts at the NTSB, the investigation also includes Tesla, the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
CarComplaints.com will update our website when more details are released about the Tesla Semi fire investigation.