A major accident occurred in Los Angeles on Saturday when a car-carrier truck transporting eight Tesla vehicles caught fire on the southbound lanes of the Golden State (I-5) Freeway near Sylmar around 5:35 pm. The blaze caused heavy traffic disruption as black smoke and flames engulfed the truck.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded promptly and managed to fully extinguish the flames by approximately 9:30 pm. A video circulating on social media platform X showed intense flames and thick smoke, with six of the eight Tesla cars completely burned. The cars positioned closest to the truck suffered the worst damage, while those at the rear were partially spared.

Although initial reports suggested the fire might have been triggered by the lithium-ion batteries in Tesla cars, Tesla’s Vice President for Supply Chain, Roshan Thomas, clarified that the fire originated from the third-party logistics (3PL) semi-truck. He confirmed that the driver escaped unhurt and assured that Tesla would replace the damaged vehicles for customers as quickly as possible.

Authorities kept truck lanes closed for an extended period even after the fire was contained to clear debris and ensure safety. No injuries were reported, but officials said traffic delays were worsened by heavy congestion that slowed the arrival of additional fire crews.