According to recent reports, a Tesla caught fire at a charging station in Pennsylvania, raising further concerns about the risks of EV battery fires. Footage showed the vehicle completely engulfed in flames outside a Sheetz gas station in Upper Allen Township.
The Upper Allen Fire Department shared a statement on Facebook detailing the incident, which occurred last week. “Around 5:50 pm last evening, Company 23 was dispatched to Sheetz for a vehicle fire. Initial report stated multiple calls for a Tesla on fire at the charging station. Chief 123, Squad 23, Traffic 23, Squad 29, and Tanker 24 responded with the initial dispatch. Chief 123 arrived on scene and confirmed the initial report,” the post read.
The statement also described the emergency crews’ efforts to combat the fire. “On arrival, Squad 23 crews stretched a line and began fire attack. Once the bulk of the fire was extinguished, crews began the cooling process of the vehicle battery. Traffic 23 was tasked with shutting down South Market Street due to supply line hose stretching across the street to the closest hydrant. Traffic 23 requested more traffic units to assist with traffic control. Team 200 (Cumberland County HazMat) was called in to help with spill/runoff control. The towing process was initiated, and crews remained on scene to assist in the possible reignition of the fire,” the statement continued.
The Upper Allen Fire Department concluded by thanking the emergency responders who assisted. “UAFD would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the companies that came out to assist us with this incident. These are not easy fires to put out and the hazmat concerns they pose are difficult to mitigate. On scene: Upper Allen Fire Department, Upper Allen Police, Mechanicsburg Fire Department, Lisburn Fire Company, TEAM 200, Camp Hill Fire Company, Shiremanstown Fire Company, Hampden Township Fire Department, Penn State Life Lion EMS.”
As the EV market share has grown in recent years, consumers have encountered several challenges with this new technology. A significant concern is the danger posed by lithium-ion batteries, which can be very difficult to extinguish if they catch fire.
The Pennsylvania incident sparked substantial debate on social media about EV fires. “The problem is you can’t even put out that fire it has to burn out!” one person wrote on X. Another person suggested that rising insurance costs could harm the EV movement, stating, “Insurance skyrocketing will be the death knell of the EV movement.” Another commenter downplayed the concerns, suggesting that the focus on EV fires was an attempt to attack Elon Musk and Tesla: “How many gas cars caught fire last week? We don’t know, because it’s not ‘newsworthy’. But an EV car at a Tesla charging station owned by the evil Elon Musk. Now THAT is newsworthy! (You are being manipulated by the MSM).”
Watch the EV fire below: