Tesla Model S catches fire near Seattle, no injuries reported

Sebastian Blanco

For the record, there were 187,500 "highway vehicle fires" in the US in 2011 (the last year for which data is available), according to the National Fire Prevention Association. But there was a fire yesterday that is starting to catch some attention, and we're pretty sure you all know why. Electric vehicle fires – whether they be in China or the US, started while moving or stopped – often become comment fodder, even when we learn after the fact that the electric part of the powertrain has nothing to do with with the blaze.

In any case, a Tesla Model S went up in flame yesterday after hitting something, and the company stock has already dropped $12.05, ending the day at $180.95. We don't know many details, but Yahoo Autos says it happened outside Seattle, WA. We also don't know what, exactly, caused the fire, but you can see in the picture above that it was limited to the frunk (that'd be the front trunk, of course) area. Tesla offered AutoblogGreen a statement on the matter:

Yesterday, a Model S collided with a large metallic object in the middle of the road, causing significant damage to the vehicle. The car's alert system signaled a problem and instructed the driver to pull over safely, which he did. No one was injured, and the sole occupant had sufficient time to exit the vehicle safely and call the authorities. Subsequently, a fire caused by the substantial damage sustained during the collision was contained to the front of the vehicle thanks to the design and construction of the vehicle and battery pack. All indications are that the fire never entered the interior cabin of the car. It was extinguished on-site by the fire department.

You can watch a short video of the car on fire below.