Smoke Appeared, Attempted to Extinguish with Fire Extinguisher but Flames Erupted
A fire broke out in a Tesla electric vehicle parked on a street in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and was extinguished after about four hours. A video of the fire at the time has been shared, attracting attention.
Initial fire suppression scene of a Tesla fire in Yongin posted on an online community. A man, presumed to be the car owner, is spraying a fire extinguisher on the smoking tire. [Image source=Captured from online community]
On the 17th, a user named A posted a witness account of the fire on an online community. A said, "I watched from when smoke started coming out of the Tesla until the end, and the fire ignited in an instant," adding, "The owner used a fire extinguisher as soon as smoke appeared, but it seemed ineffective." He also added, "After reporting, the fire truck arrived in about six minutes and kept spraying water, but it was no use."
An image of a Tesla electric vehicle fire in Yongin posted on an online community. [Image source: Screenshot from an online community]
In the video attached by A, a man is seen spraying a fire extinguisher toward the front wheel where smoke was rising. However, as flames burst out from underneath instead of being suppressed, the man holding the extinguisher moved away from the car.
An image of a Tesla electric vehicle fire in Yongin posted on an online community. [Image source: Screenshot from an online community]
The Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters reported that at around 7:40 p.m. the previous day, a fire caused by battery thermal runaway occurred under a Tesla electric vehicle parked on a road in Gugaldong, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The vehicle was not charging at the time and was parked on the street.
After receiving the owner's report, the fire authorities dispatched about 50 firefighters and 20 pieces of equipment including pump trucks to extinguish the fire. The main flames were brought under control at around 10:57 p.m., about 3 hours and 10 minutes after the report was received. Complete extinguishment was achieved at around 11:53 p.m. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the vehicle was reported to have been completely burned.
As flames and smoke spread from the vehicle, the fire authorities received about 20 additional related reports. The fire department advised, "In the case of battery fires, explosions can occur at any time, so people should stay far away and call 119." Police and fire authorities will investigate the exact cause and circumstances of the fire.
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