A Tesla Semi’s fiery crash on California’s Interstate 80 turned into a high-stakes firefight, as emergency responders struggled to douse flames ignited by the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that CAL FIRE had to use a jaw-dropping 50,000 gallons of water, alongside fire-retardant airdrops, to put out the blaze. The crash and subsequent fire shut down eastbound lanes of I-80 for a staggering 15 hours, as reported by Breitbart.

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The Tesla electric big rig, driven by a Tesla employee, veered off the road on August 19, smashing into a traffic post and a tree before careening down a slope and igniting a post-crash inferno. Fortunately, no one was injured. However, the NTSB’s report sheds light on the difficulty of extinguishing fires in electric vehicles. Tesla’s infamous “thermal runaway” effect—the tendency of lithium-ion batteries to reignite hours after being “put out”—was a constant concern, but the semi’s battery system stayed under control this time.

Tesla, in an attempt to manage the hazards, sent a technical expert to the crash site. Air quality checks were performed, and a thermal scanner monitored the battery’s temperature to ensure there was no secondary ignition. The truck was eventually towed to an open-air location where it was observed for another 24 hours. This cautious approach prevented any further incidents.

The blaze and the hazardous materials response that followed created chaos along I-80, a key artery linking Northern California with Nevada. Traffic was rerouted, and the full shutdown stretched late into the evening, causing significant delays.

Electric vehicle battery fires, as CAL FIRE and the NTSB know all too well, are no simple affair. A standard water hose won’t cut it with these flames due to the unique dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries. Instead, they require special equipment and massive amounts of water—up to 50,000 gallons in this case—to prevent re-ignition.

This event has again highlighted the urgent need for better preparation, specialized training, and additional resources for first responders in dealing with the rising number of electric vehicles on the road.

While the NTSB continues to investigate the crash, the exact cause remains unclear. However, the event has underscored the growing challenges of managing electric vehicle incidents and the increasing risk they present as more EVs hit the road across the country.

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