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Firefighters were called to assist in putting out a fire on a Tesla Model S that spontaneously burst into flames.
Witnesses said the car kept reigniting in a junkyard. The incident occurred in northern California in the Sacramento Fire District.
The electric car had been in a crash and sustained major damage three weeks prior to bursting into flames. The vehicle was scheduled to be dismantled.
Firefighters reportedly used 4,500 gallons of water to put out the fire. This was the area’s first Tesla fire.
The fire department said, “The vehicle was fully involved with fire on arrival, and took a significant amount of time, water, and thinking outside the box to extinguish.”
“Crews knocked the fire down, but the car kept re-igniting and off-gassing in the battery compartment,” the statement continued.
“Working with the on-site wrecking yard personnel, the Tesla was moved on its side to gain access to the battery compartment underneath.”
There were no injuries reported. You can watch the video here:
More on this story via Fox News:
The department said, even with direct penetration with water, the car kept reigniting because of residual heat. Responders eventually had to make a small pit, place the car inside and fill it with about 4,500 gallons of water.
“The pit ultimately reduced the total amount of water needed,” the department said “and limited the runoff of contaminated water”…
Teslas and other electric vehicles have been known to have issues with fires. It can be difficult to put flames out because the vehicles’ lithium-ion batteries keep burning until all the energy is released. It can take as long as 24 hours to put out, according to a guide for first responders for the Tesla Model S.
CEO Elon Musk admitted last year there were “more challenges than expected” in developing the Model S and X’s new battery pack. “It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S and X is safe,” he said at the time, according to CNBC.
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ overnight request for comment.
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