In a recent incident, California firefighters had to douse a blazing battery in a Tesla Semi with an astonishing 50,000 gallons of water to successfully extinguish the flames after a crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The crash occurred on August 19 along Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, about 70 miles northeast of Sacramento, prompting the NTSB to send investigators to the scene.

The NTSB's preliminary report revealed that in addition to the massive amount of water, firefighters also deployed an aircraft to drop fire retardant on the immediate area surrounding the electric truck as a precautionary measure. The battery reportedly reached temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit during the fire.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the Tesla Semi, operated by a Tesla employee traveling from Livermore, California, to a facility in Sparks, Nevada, left the road while navigating a right curve and collided with a tree. The truck then descended down a slope before coming to rest against several trees.

Importantly, the NTSB findings indicated that at the time of the crash, the truck was not operating on any of Tesla's partially automated driving systems. The report clarified that the autonomous systems were nonfunctional and could not be engaged during the incident's occurrence.

Following the crash, the lithium-ion battery in the Semi caught fire, necessitating the use of water by firefighters to extinguish the flames and maintain the battery's temperature. As a result of the fire, the freeway remained closed for approximately 15 hours until firefighters deemed the battery cool enough to safely recover the truck.

Authorities carefully monitored the truck for 24 hours after moving it to an open-air facility, ensuring that the battery did not reignite. The NTSB, in its ongoing investigation, intends to examine the fire risks associated with the large lithium-ion battery used in the Tesla Semi and plans to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

This incident highlights the potential challenges faced by first responders when encountering high-voltage electric vehicle battery fires. In a previous investigation concluded in 2021, the NTSB determined that such fires pose risks to emergency personnel, citing inadequate guidelines from manufacturers on how to handle these situations. Among its recommendations, the agency urged manufacturers to develop vehicle-specific response guides for combating battery fires, including measures to limit chemical thermal runaway and reignition. The guidelines should also address the safe storage of vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries.

Tesla commenced deliveries of the electric Semis in December 2022, following a three-year delay since CEO Elon Musk announced the production of the trucks. Musk previously stated that the Semi has a range of 500 miles per charge when hauling an 82,000-pound load.

As the NTSB continues its investigation into the cause of the crash, attention remains focused on ensuring the safety of electric vehicle batteries and developing effective protocols for emergency personnel dealing with potential incidents of battery fires.