Corpus Christi firefighters encountered a dangerous and unusual situation early Sunday morning when they responded to an electric vehicle fire that required a different approach than traditional car fires.
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on the 6000 block of Ennis Joslin Road near Alameda Drive. Police say a Tesla burst into flames after the driver crashed the vehicle.
Electric vehicles are powered by lithium batteries, which present unique challenges when they catch fire. Unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, these battery fires are extremely difficult to extinguish using conventional firefighting methods.
In this case, crews had to allow the vehicle to burn itself out completely. A fire department spokesman said while they do carry special blankets designed to smother fires, they were not adequate for a fire of this magnitude…