When a Tesla truck catches fire on a major highway, it can cause a huge headache for police, firefighters, and drivers who are just trying to go about their day. That’s what happened on Tuesday in California when a Tesla semi-truck became engulfed in flames, causing all lanes on I-880 to be temporarily closed. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, but firefighters believe they know what caused the fire in the first place.
Tesla truck fire creates traffic headache on Interstate 880
On October 27 at around 5:35 p.m., a Tesla semi-truck caught on fire on Interstate 880 in Hayward, resulting in a complete shutdown of both northbound and southbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol on its official Facebook page.
At the time, both police and firefighters did not know how long it would take for the highway to be reopened. Due to the potential risk of hazardous chemical smoke coming from the truck, which is suspected to be from Frito-Lay based on social media videos of the incident seen by local news outlet KQED, authorities shut down the southbound lanes from A Street and SR-92 and northbound lanes from Jackson Street to Winton Avenue.
The Tesla truck was the only vehicle involved in the incident. The driver was not injured, though he was unsure why the big rig ignited in flames. However, when firefighters arrived on the scene, they figured out that the fire had been caused by the Tesla’s lithium-ion battery.
Unfortunately, fires from lithium-ion batteries are “difficult to extinguish because damaged battery cells can continue to generate heat and reignite,” per Firehouse. These types of batteries can ignite due to physical damage, internal defects, or overcharging.
While the northbound lanes reopened within three hours at 8:40 p.m., it took until Wednesday at 3:31 a.m. for the southbound lanes to reopen.
An investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
