Tesla Semi Fire in California Required 50,000 Gallons of Water to Extinguish

The August 19 crash and subsequent fire on I-80 closed the freeway for over 14 hours as firefighters battled the blaze.

The crash occurred near Emigrant Gap, California, when the Tesla Semi veered off the road, struck a tree, and ignited its lithium-ion battery system.
Firefighters used approximately 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames and cool the battery, which reached temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
An aircraft was deployed to drop fire retardant around the crash site to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby forested areas.
The freeway was closed for about 15 hours to ensure the batteries were at a safe temperature for vehicle recovery operations.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident and will issue safety recommendations to prevent similar events.