The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a preliminary report that California firefighters needed to spray 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a Tesla Semi fire on the I80 freeway east of Sacramento, which also required the use of fire retardant dropped from an aircraft as a precautionary measure. The crash occurred at 3:13 AM on August 19 when the tractor-trailer departed the roadway, struck a traffic delineator, and hit a tree, resulting in the Tesla Semi’s large 900kWh battery catching fire and reaching a temperature of 1,000 degrees F, emitting toxic fumes. Firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the day to cool it down with water as Tesla sent a technical expert to assess high-voltage hazards and fire safety, eventually reopening the freeway at 7:20 PM, over 16 hours after the crash. The NTSB sent a team of investigators to examine the fire risks posed by large lithium-ion battery packs, noting that manufacturers’ guidelines around such fires were inadequate, leading to discussions on safety procedures for emergency responders and potential improvements in regulations.
