US NTSB launches investigation on Tesla Semi crash fire

The US National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into a crash involving a Tesla Semi electric truck. NTSB will conduct this investigation along with the California Highway Patrol Authority.

On Monday, a Tesla Semi crashed into trees on Interstate 80 in Northern California in the Sierra Nevada. California Fire crew reached the crash scene at around 3 a.m. The crew was dealing with hazardous materials due to the large battery size of the vehicle.

The first responders revealed that the battery kept the fire alive for hours. Fortunately, none were reported injured in this crash.

Such crashes are dangerous to respond to due to the battery chemicals. It becomes even more challenging to deal with the fire due to the intense heat, high-voltage components, and potential for reignition.

Burning batteries can release toxic fumes and dangerous hazards. On the other hand, the vehicle’s high-voltage component can also produce a shock in such cases.

Therefore, the California Highway Patrol kept people and travelers a half mile away from the scene and closed the I-80 in Northern California.

Unlike gasoline, battery fire cannot be contained with water spray at such a level. It needs some sort of dry chemical or huge amount of water as much as 40,000 gallons said Officer Jason Lyman with CHP Gold Run to CBSNews.

However, Cal Fire Aircraft dropped fire retardant on the truck like during a wildfire fight to keep the flames under control. As for the reason, it’s said that the incident was caused when the truck went off the roadway and collided with trees.

Such incidents are not normal for first responders compared to small-size EVs, trucks pack a bigger battery which takes more time to cool off the fire.

In that case, the fire responders can only wait for the fire to settle down and keep the people out of the affected area to maintain safety.

CHP opened the roadway by morning but the freeway remained fully closed through the afternoon. The westbound lanes had opened by 4:30 p.m. but eastbound lanes didn’t open until late evening.