A Tesla Semi burst into flames on southbound Interstate 880 near Highway 92 in Hayward Tuesday evening, forcing authorities to shut down lanes in both directions as hazardous smoke billowed over the freeway. The driver escaped safely, but the cause of the fire remained unknown as crews worked to contain the blaze.
The fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, and no other vehicles were involved, according to mercurynews.com. Authorities temporarily closed lanes in both directions out of concern over potentially hazardous smoke, as reported by nbcbayarea.com. Traffic was diverted off the freeway at Winton Avenue while Caltrans prepared to carry out a full closure, per the same Mercury News report.
Northbound lanes reopened around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, the Mercury News noted, while southbound I-880 remained closed between A Street and Highway 92 as crews continued working the scene. The closures caused massive traffic backups in both directions that persisted for several hours, the NBC Bay Area report states. No full reopening estimate had been provided as of Tuesday night.
Driver Escaped, Injuries Not Reported
There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to the Mercury News. The driver got out of the rig safely, but the cause of the fire remains unknown, NBC Bay Area reported, leaving investigators to sort out what sparked the blaze on one of the busiest freeways in the East Bay.
Why Electric Semi Fires Burn Differently
Tesla's own emergency response guidance identifies the Semi as a fully electric vehicle built around a high-voltage lithium-ion battery, according to a Tesla emergency response document. That guidance instructs responders to use large amounts of water to cool the battery enclosure during a fire, and it warns that the high-voltage battery may reignite, recommending that crews monitor its temperature for at least 24 hours after the flames are out.
That kind of extended vigilance isn't unprecedented for this vehicle type. A previous Tesla Semi fire in California required roughly 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish, according to an AP report on a 2024 incident. A separate Tesla Semi fire in 2024 followed a crash on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, closing that freeway for about 15 hours, the Mercury News noted. Federal investigators found that in that earlier crash, the lithium-ion battery system ignited after the truck departed the roadway and struck objects and trees, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
For Hayward commuters, Tuesday's fire meant hours of detours and gridlock on a freeway corridor that sees heavy evening traffic between the East Bay and the Peninsula. As of Tuesday night, officials had not said when southbound I-880 would fully reopen, leaving drivers to plan around an open-ended closure while the investigation into the fire's cause continued.
