Tesla Semi Erupts Into Towering Inferno, Shutting Down California Freeway at Rush Hour

A Tesla electric semi-truck burst into flames on Interstate 880 in Hayward during the evening commute on Tuesday, October 27, shutting down the freeway for hours.

Footage shared on X shows a towering plume of dark smoke and bright flames rising ahead of slow-moving traffic, as a firefighting truck drives toward the blaze before the camera passes close to the burning vehicle.

The California Highway Patrol said the fire broke out at about 5:35 p.m. in the southbound lanes near State Route 92, and the freeway was closed in both directions because of the risk of hazardous chemical smoke from the truck’s lithium-ion batteries.

The northbound lanes reopened at 8:40 p.m., but the southbound side stayed shut until about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday while crews made sure the battery fire was fully out. No one was injured and no other vehicles were involved. The driver told officers the truck simply caught fire and did not know why, police said, and the cause is under investigation.