Cybertruck Catches Fire After Running Into Fire Hydrant and Getting Wet

It needed a lot more water to be put out.

Water and Fire

A Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames after crashing into a fire hydrant outside a Bass Pro Shop in Harlingen, Texas — and getting doused in copious amounts of water, igniting the battery.

As local news station Valley Central reports, first responders were optimistic that they had successfully battled the flames, only for the fire to resume after they stopped to spray the truck's battery with even more water.

It's unclear if any injuries resulted from the accident.

The incident highlights just how difficult it is to put out a burning EV — even if it happens to crash into a device intended to fight fires. Fire departments have had to change tactics, using full PPE due to toxic fumes, tapping multiple fire hydrants or multiple water tankers, and developing new solutions like EV fire-specific fire blankets.

Smoke Show

Ironically, Tesla had just released a detailed rescue sheet for its Cybertruck last week. The guide is designed for first responders, informing them where the vehicle's low and high-voltage power cables terminate.

In case of fire, Tesla advises responders not to "submerge vehicle to extinguish/cool battery fire."

"Use of firefighting foam is not recommended and only water should be used to cool the battery enclosure," the rescue sheet reads.

Over the years, first responders have found out the hard way that it takes far more water to put out an EV fire. In 2021, Austin Fire Department division chief Thayer Smith said that Tesla vehicles may take up to 30,000 to 40,000 gallons of water — roughly 40 times as much as is needed to put out a combustion engine car.

And with more EVs being produced than ever before, those kinds of incidents can be devastating. A lithium-ion battery fire is still extremely dangerous. In 2019, the family of a Tesla Model S owner, who died after being trapped inside his burning Model S, sued the carmaker, arguing that the car's retractable door handles malfunctioned.

While it's still unclear if anybody was hurt during the latest fire, we've already come across incidents involving the Cybertruck that didn't end well.

Earlier this month, a Texas driver died after his Cybertruck crashed into a culvert and caught fire.

More on the Cybertruck: Burglar Discovers You Can “Peel” Cybertruck and Access the Inside