A semi-truck hauling eight Tesla electric vehicles caught fire on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles Saturday evening, shutting down traffic in both directions and requiring a massive response from firefighters and emergency crews.
The blaze began around 5:30 p.m. in Sylmar, a suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles, as the truck traveled southbound near Balboa Boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the flames quickly consumed the cab and several of the Teslas on board, sending thick black smoke into the air and forcing the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to issue a SigAlert. Both northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway were closed, causing significant traffic backups throughout the night.
Video footage showed multiple Teslas engulfed in flames as firefighters worked to protect vehicles not yet overtaken by the fire. Crews from the LAFD, LA County Fire, CHP, and Caltrans HazMat coordinated to contain the blaze, deploying Class B foam, Thermo-Gel, and even truckloads of sand to control runoff from the scene. Supply lines were run from a surface-street hydrant across an overpass to deliver enough water to battle the fire.
Fortunately, the truck’s driver escaped unharmed, and no injuries were reported among nearby motorists or emergency responders. Firefighters successfully saved two of the EVs that had not yet been consumed.
The LAFD confirmed the freeway reopened to general traffic later that night, but recovery operations in the southbound truck lanes continued for hours. The department also urged residents to avoid smoke and runoff from the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities have not confirmed whether an electric vehicle battery failure may have sparked the blaze, though Tesla vehicles have been involved in previous high-profile fire incidents.
