Fire crews in California, US battled to extinguish a fire involving a Tesla after its lithium-ion battery pack kept re-igniting and off-gassing.
Metro Fire crews responded to its first Tesla vehicle fire at a wrecking yard in Sacramento as the car awaited to be dismantled after sustaining “major damage” in an accident three weeks before.
The team from Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District reported taking a “significant amount of time, water, and thinking outside the box” to extinguish the fire on 11 June.
The fire department reported working with the on-site wrecking yard personnel, where they moved the Tesla on its side to gain access to the battery compartment.
However, even with direct penetration, the vehicle still re-ignited due to the residual heat.
Crews and on-site personnel then created a small pit, placed the car inside it, and filled the pit with water effectively submerging the battery compartment.
The pit ultimately reduced the total amount of water needed, estimated at 4,500 gallons, and limited the runoff of contaminated water.
The vehicle was fully extinguished, and no injuries were reported.