Late Friday night, a semi-truck loaded with several Tesla vehicles went up in flames near Hobe Sound, forcing emergency crews to shut down all lanes of Florida's Turnpike and both directions of I-95 while firefighters wrestled with smoke and intense heat. Martin County Fire Rescue units arrived shortly before 11 p.m., and county officials reported no injuries. A towering plume of smoke was visible for miles, tying up traffic across the Treasure Coast.
Scene and official response
Martin County Fire Rescue told CBS12 that crews were dispatched just before 11 p.m. after a car-hauler carrying several Tesla vehicles caught fire, with shifting winds making the job even tougher. According to the agency, both northbound and southbound lanes of I-95, along with all lanes of the Turnpike in the Hobe Sound area, were closed while firefighters chased hotspots and cleared debris. Officials said the cause of the fire has not been released and it was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved.
Why EV hauler fires can be stubborn
Electric-vehicle battery packs can enter what is known as thermal runaway, a chain reaction that makes re-ignition possible even after the obvious flames are knocked down. That means incidents involving multiple EVs often turn into long, slow battles focused on cooling rather than flashy fire streams. Full-scale testing and guidance from the Fire Protection Research Foundation note that extinguishing and stabilizing a battery fire can require thousands of gallons of water and sustained cooling to prevent flare-ups, a tactic many departments now build into their response plans. Those technical demands help explain why agencies sometimes keep major corridors closed until they are confident the hazard is fully contained.
Traffic impact on the Treasure Coast
The closures triggered major backups as evening traffic ground to a halt, and Martin County Fire Rescue urged drivers to seek alternate routes while emergency operations continued, according to CBS12. Tow operators and highway crews were expected to remain on scene for hours to remove burned vehicles and inspect the roadway for damage. Commuters are being warned to expect lingering delays in the Hobe Sound area until the roads are cleared and investigators wrap up their on-scene work.
Past hauler fires show the stakes
Hauler fires are rare but hugely disruptive. Digital Trends documented a 2019 I-80 wreck that destroyed several Teslas, and industry outlets later covered a high-profile car-carrier fire that shut down a Los Angeles freeway for hours, showing how a single truck fire can ripple across a region's traffic and cleanup operations. Those cases highlight both the firefighting challenges and the prolonged closures that can follow when EVs are involved.
Martin County Fire Rescue said the investigation into Friday night's fire is ongoing and asked drivers to avoid the area while crews continue cleanup and damage assessment. This story will be updated when officials release additional information.
