California freeway shut down for 7 hours after truck carrying Teslas catches fire
A California freeway was shut down for hours after a semi-truck carrying Tesla vehicles erupted in fire Saturday, according to multiple local and national media sources.
According to Yahoo News, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to southbound lanes on 5 Freeway in Sylmar at about 5:30 p.m. California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued an alert about 6 p.m. notifying the public that both northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway were closed to traffic.
A local Santa Clarita Valley newspaper reported that southbound lanes were closed for about seven hours. It says CHP issued a second alert at 10 p.m. Saturday, warning drivers to expect more than two hours of delays as traffic was rerouted to State Highway 14 in the Santa Clarita Valley.
At about 1:06 a.m. Sunday, CHP reported that all southbound lanes had been reopened to traffic, but southbound truck routes through the Newhall Pass remained closed while work continued to clear the incident.
A hazmat team was dispatched to the scene because of Tesla’s electric vehicle batteries, the article says. Police told the newspaper the cause of the fire was unknown, as of Sunday.
The third-party logistics (3PL) semi-truck caught fire first. Thankfully, the driver is ok; unfortunately the Teslas sustained damage.
We will be looking to replace the vehicles for our intended customers as soon as we can. A very unfortunate accident.
— Roshan Thomas (@roshanthomas) August 17, 2025
Roshan Thomas, Tesla’s supply chain vice president, responded on X to a post regarding the fire. He said a third-party logistics semi-truck caught fire first.
“Thankfully, the driver is OK; unfortunately, the Teslas sustained damage,” Thomas said. “We will be looking to replace the vehicles for our intended customers as soon as we can. A very unfortunate accident.”
About a year ago, a truck carrying large lithium batteries overturned near Baker California, causing severe traffic problems for about 44 hours on 1-15, the main freeway between Las Vegas and Southern California.
“The truck was carrying six industrial-scale lithium metal batteries in a container that weighed more than 75,000 pounds,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported at the time. “It burned all night, spewing toxic gases, and was still smoldering into Saturday night as officials pondered how to extinguish and remove the wreck.”
As EV fires become more prevalent in society, efforts are being made to address the issue.
Hyundai announced earlier this year that it has developed a fire extinguishing technology to prevent thermal runaway in electric vehicles.
Battery cells in vehicles equipped with the system would immediately be sprayed with an extinguishing agent when they catch fire; however, Hyundai Mobis designed the battery system assembly (BSA) using heat-resistant materials to mitigate fires altogether.
E-FireX, led by retired firefighter Jesse Corletto and former collision shop CEO Marc Sebastian, sells a specialized fire extinguisher to combat lithium-ion battery fires. Corletto told Repairer Driven News the extinguisher has an all-natural-based encapsulated agent designed for high-heat fires, including lithium battery and metal fires.
QR codes and LED flash patterns are also included in a patent aimed at helping first responders identify EV and hybrid vehicles quickly.
OEM1Stop.com is an industry site developed by automakers that provides access to vehicle repair and service information, including Emergency Service Guides written by OEMs, for first responders. The guides include proper battery removal and storage guidance, and information about what should happen once the vehicle is brought inside the repair facility.
The Energy Security Agency (ESA) also staffs a 24/7 Guidance Center for first responders, towing and recovery, recyclers, salvage yards, and the repair industry to answer questions about properly handling EV and hybrid vehicles.
The center can walk through risk assessments and help each party label the vehicles with color-coded stickers that warn others of potential risks.
The National Fire Protection Association offers numerous EV training courses online for first responders and the general public, including training sessions for vehicle dealerships. The U.S. Department of Energy website also lists EV fire training resources.
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