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An electric Tesla car crashed into a guardrail in the I-95 north near Exit 59 on Thursday, Jan. 19 around 10:45 p.m., according to the Wakefield Fire department. The driver, 38, declined medical attention and first responders began to move the car from the scene when the incident quickly escalated.
As first responders began to move the wedged vehicle, the guardrail pierced the undercarriage and damaging the lithium-ion batteries, the fire department said. The Tesla was fully engulfed in a blaze caused by the battery failure.
A full box alarm deployed multiple fire engines to the scene along with multiple mutual aid communities. Firefighters used four water lines and a "blitz gun" to cool the flaming battery compartment.
Massachusetts State Police diverted traffic into one lane while firefighters worked the scene in a driving snow storm.
Engines and water tankers were sent from the following counties' fire departments:
- Melrose
- Stoneham
- Reading
- Lynnfield
- Middleton
After two and a half hours and 20,000 gallons of water, the fire was fully extinguished. The car was removed after a consultation with the Hazmat Unit.
"When responding to an electric or hybrid vehicle fire there are additional challenges responding crews must consider," Wakefield Provisional Thomas Purcell said. "Fire companies on the scene of an electrical vehicle fire should expect longer time frames to manage and control EV vehicle fires, ensure that large, continuous, sustainable water supply is established, as well as maintain heightened situational awareness and prepare for secondary fires."
"The crews did a great job, especially in the middle of storm conditions – on a busy highway," Purcell continued. "All responding mutual aid companies from the surrounding communities that assisted were fantastic and greatly helped the Wakefield Fire Department in controlling the incident."
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