Green energy is heating up.
Via ABC News:
A Tesla Model S ignited three times in one day, a northern California car owner and firefighters told ABC News.
While driving on a highway on Dec. 18, the driver got a tire pressure warning indicating a flat tire, and had the car towed to the nearby Los Gatos Tire and Auto Repair, Santa Clara County Fire Captain Bill Murphy told ABC News.
“I go in there, doing the paperwork and I start hearing a funny hissing sound,” the Tesla owner told ABC San Francisco’s station KGO-TV. “I thought, oh, it must be something going on in the shop next door.”
The owner turned around to see the car on fire, and firefighters were called to the scene.
Los Gatos Tire and Auto Repair did not immediately respond to ABC News’ for a request for comment.
“We extinguished the initial fire very quickly,” Murphy said. Shortly afterwards, the firefighters saw gas and steam coming off the car- which began venting gas, which Murphy said they believed was a sign of batteries burning. He said his crew again doused the car with water before flames could erupt and contacted Tesla, which recommended propping up the car to access its underbody where the battery is located, Murphy said. They continued to monitor the car for about 6 hours to ensure there was no lingering heat, Murphy added. His crew doused it with an estimated 2,000 gallons of water.
At 10 p.m., the car was moved to nearby tow yard, where it then reignited, Murphy said. The third fire was contained to the car, and did not spread. Firefighters spent nearly ten hours at the scene to ensure the battery would not ignite again.