Tesla fire takes more than 4,500 gallons of water to extinguish, crews say

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Gray News) - Firefighters in California had to think outside the box earlier this month when battling a Tesla that caught fire.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District reports crews were called to a wrecking yard for a Tesla engulfed in flames.

The vehicle had been sitting in the wrecking yard for three weeks, waiting to be dismantled after a crash.

When firefighters arrived, they initially extinguished the flames, but the fire kept reigniting in the car’s battery compartment.

Crews said the Tesla was placed on its side so firefighters could have better access to the battery. But, they ultimately had to create a small pit in the ground and fill it with water to submerge the vehicle and prevent it from continuing to catch fire.

According to the fire district, the pit was filled with about 4,500 gallons of water and limited the runoff of contaminated water.

Crews said this was their first Tesla vehicle fire, and no injuries were reported in the incident.

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