According to a report from KCRA, a California man said he is lucky to be alive after his Tesla caught fire just as he was about to pull onto a major interstate, forcing him to pull over.
Bishal Malla was nearing Highway 99 near Sacramento when he said he felt the car begin shaking. Originally thinking he had a flat tire, he pulled over, opening the door to then see smoke pouring from the underside of the vehicle. Malla quickly exited the car and called 911.
The smoke then quickly turned into large flames.
Cosumnes Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Kasparian said the best practice for firefighters responding to electric vehicle fires is to let the fire burn down until fire crews can access the batteries and extinguish it completely with water or firefighting foam.
Kasparian said electric vehicle batteries can cause an enormous amount of heat buildup. He continued to say the CFD is seeing an increase in electric vehicle fires, which are becoming a serious challenge for first responders, requiring longer response times, excessive water, and additional resources to watch the vehicle to ensure the fire doesn’t reignite after the vehicle is towed away.
Kasparian said they are still not certain what caused this fire. Although electric vehicles are tougher to extinguish, federal data by AutoinsuranceEZ in 2022 found that hybrid and gas vehicles are more likely to catch fire than electric vehicles, citing 3,474 fires per 100,000 in sales for hybrids, compared to 1,529 for gas vehicles and 25 for electric.
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