Due to a fire involving a large Tesla semi-trailer truck, both directions of Interstate 80 in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains were closed on Monday morning.

Cal Fire crews confirmed they were on scene near Emigrant Gap around 3 a.m. for an electric truck burning. The California Highway Patrol later confirmed they were dealing with a hazmat situation because the truck’s batteries may be emitting toxic fumes.

According to first responders, the batteries of the electric semi-trailer were still burning more than four hours later.

Due to the situation surrounding the batteries, people are being kept at least half a mile away from the accident scene.

“The battery itself is not something you can just spray with water to put out. You need either a dry chemical or very large amounts of water, I’ve heard up to 40,000 gallons,” said Ofc. Jason Lyman of CHP Gold Run.

CHP originally expected the road to reopen around 8 a.m., but that estimate has since been revised down, so it is no longer known exactly when I-80 will reopen.

Westbound lanes are closed on Highway 20 and eastbound lanes are closed in Nyack. CHP says all westbound large trucks must turn around at the Nevada state line and eastbound at the Applegate border.

The incident began with a crash when the semi-trailer left the road and crashed into the trees. No injuries were reported, according to the CHP.

Electric vehicle fires

Fires involving electric vehicles have proven problematic for first responders.

In 2023, firefighters in the Sacramento area said they needed about 6,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames of a Tesla Model S that caught fire on Highway 50. A few months later, firefighters decided to just let another electric vehicle burn out on Highway 99.