Environment & Energy

Caribbeans

(1,016 posts) Mon Aug 19, 2024, 04:10 PM Aug 2024

Breaking News: Toxic fumes from Tesla EV semi fire shut down I-80 in Sierra. Batteries smoldered for hours

Toxic fumes from Tesla EV semi fire shut down I-80 in Sierra. Batteries smoldered for hours

Sacramento Bee | DANIEL HUNT | AUGUST 19, 2024

An electric big-rig truck fire Monday prompted officials to shut down both directions of Interstate 80 in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada as authorities battled the intense heat and toxicity from the vehicle’s batteries.

The crash occurred around 3:15 a.m. near Emigrant Gap where an electric vehicle traveling eastbound at the Laing Road offramp crashed onto the right shoulder and into trees, according to the California Highway Patrol’s incident log. Officer Jason Lyman, a spokesman for the CHP’s Gold Run office, said that only one vehicle was involved and that the driver was not injured.

Lyman said the white Tesla Semi truck was without a trailer when it was headed uphill west of Yuba Gap. Investigators were still trying to piece together what led the Tesla to leave the roadway, he said.

But authorities’ immediate concern was the fire, sparked by the batteries of the roughly 13-ton vehicle, after the vehicle was seen “smoking.” Lyman said that the fire produced “quite the plume of smoke” early on as firefighters rushed in to fight the flames with chemicals. By 9 a.m. the fire was still smoldering, Lyman said.

Lyman said authorities had to create a half-mile buffer zone around the fire to keep “toxic” fumes from injuring bystanders and motorists. Firefighters from the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit were battling the flames using masks and breathing apparatus...more
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article291178340.html

Lithium battery fire forces almost two-day shutdown of I-15

July 29, 2024

Interstate 15 has reopened after a nearly two day closure due to a fire involving a load of lithium-ion batteries that started on Friday.

The closure began when the commercial vehicle hauling the batteries overturned, causing the load to catch fire at about 8 a.m. on Friday, July 26th on I-15 between Bartwo and Baker, California. ..more
https://cdllife.com/2024/lithium-battery-fire-forces-almost-two-day-shutdown-of-i-15/

You might read that the absurd "race" between hydrogen and batteries is over - and batteries won. The "race" hasn't even begun yet. You haven't even BEGUN to hear about battery fires.