‘Toxic’ Tesla Semi Fire Closes Part of I-80 Indefinitely as Firefighters Let It Burn

Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California has been shut down after an electric Tesla Semi left the road in the early hours of the morning. The truck’s immense battery pack and the crash site’s remoteness have made the fire difficult to fight, forcing California authorities to keep the arterial highway closed with no estimated reopening time.

According to a KCRA 3 newscast, the Tesla was traversing the Sierra Madre through Placer County when it left the road near Nyack, CA in unknown conditions around 3:13 a.m. It’s unclear why the truck seemingly lost control; conventional diesel semis rely on engine braking to prevent their brakes from overheating on steep mountain roads. The highly technological Tesla may have suffered any variety of mechanical or electrical problems, or even mere driver error. In any case, the resulting fire poses an unprecedented problem for emergency responders.

Because the Tesla Semi has a battery pack many times the size of a passenger EV’s, firefighters have no playbook for extinguishing one that’s burning. They currently plan to let the batteries burn themselves out, however long that may take—it could be days. Containing the battery fire‘s spread has also been complicated by the site’s less-developed nature, as the lack of nearby hydrants has forced firefighters to bring in a portable reservoir that is being refilled by tanker trucks.

Firefighters too have had to rotate on and off the scene, as the smoke coming from the wreckage was described by a California Highway Patrol official on the broadcast as “toxic.” They have to wear full breathing apparatuses complete with O2 tanks to safely do their jobs, which is also why CalTrans and the CHP have established a half-mile perimeter to keep the public safe. That means that the surrounding stretch of I-80 will remain closed until further notice, which has led to westbound traffic being diverted as far away as the Nevada state line.

The truck driver’s condition was not reported.

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