A Tesla Model S that spontaneously caught fire in California required “thousands of gallons” of water to extinguish, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
Firefighters responded to eastbound U.S. Route 50 near Rancho Cordova, just outside Sacramento, on Jan. 28 and found the Tesla Model S engulfed in flames.
The car was traveling on the highway with “nothing unusual” prior to igniting, fire officials said. “The vehicle battery compartment spontaneously caught fire,” fire officials said.
A video shared by the fire department shows the burning car on the side of the road as firefighters aim a hose at the flames. Two fire engines, a water tender and a ladder truck were called to the scene, and crews had to use jacks to reach the underside of the car to cool the battery.
Firefighters used approximately 6,000 gallons of water “as the battery cells continued to combust,” the fire department said. No injuries were reported in the incident.
