A Tesla Burned, but the Yard Didn’t

By George L. Nitti

When crews from Ricky’s Towing of Amarillo, Texas, arrived on Interstate 40, the recovery was considered high-risk for a reason increasingly familiar to towers: a damaged electric vehicle with an unpredictable battery. Owned by Ricky Cantu, the company was responding to a vehicle transport that had been rear-ended by a semi, damaging several vehicles, including a nearly new Tesla crushed at both ends.

At the scene, operators checked for heat, odors, and visible signs of battery compromise. Nothing appeared wrong. Still, the Tesla was handled as a potential hazard. That decision proved critical.

The crash occurred July 15, and the Tesla was placed inside a newly purchased Firebox, a steel containment unit designed to isolate damaged electric vehicles. Almost 3 weeks later, smoke began rising from the box.

Employees spotted it around 9 a.m. and immediately contacted the fire department. “We’re open 24/7, and luckily we had a driver and a dispatcher on site,” Cantu said. “They saw smoke and called it in right away.”

When firefighters arrived minutes later, the Tesla was fully engulfed inside the Firebox. Crews flooded the container, submerging the vehicle beyond the roofline. The fire did not spread. For more than 13 hours, the box bubbled as the lithium-ion battery continued burning beneath the surface.

“You could tell there was still a fire under there,” Cantu said. “That battery stayed hot for hours.”

The Firebox—an investment of roughly $52,000—performed as designed, containing the blaze and protecting surrounding property. Nearby vehicles, including brand-new jet skis stored just feet away, were unharmed. Without containment, Cantu said, the outcome could have been catastrophic.

“We don’t have room to give every EV a 50-foot radius,” he explained. “With the winds we get here—60 or 70 miles an hour—one EV fire could take out the whole yard.”

Why EVs Pose a Threat During Storage

Unlike traditional vehicle fires, EV battery fires can ignite days or even weeks after a crash. Current guidance recommends isolating or containing damaged electric vehicles for 30 days, even when no warning signs are present.

In this case, the Tesla ignited. “We don’t know what caused it,” Cantu said. “It could’ve been internal damage or a pinched wire. The problem is, you don’t shut everything off in an EV. Some systems still have power.”

That unpredictability is what concerns towing operators most. “You may see smoke,” Cantu said, “but you don’t see an explosion coming. That’s what can kill someone.”

Two years earlier at Ricky's storage facility, a fire involving a box truck caused approximately $200,000 in losses when flames spread to two adjacent semis. “That changed how we think about storage safety,” he said.

Issues with Containment 

While the Firebox successfully contained the Tesla fire, disposal proved costly and complex. The vehicle remained submerged for two weeks before crews could begin removing contaminated water. Disposal required testing, documentation, specialized hauling, and placement at a Level 2 landfill approved for lithium contamination.

“You can’t just dump it,” Cantu said. “This isn’t oilfield water. Lithium contamination has its own rules.”

Testing alone exceeded $1,000, with hauling and landfill fees adding thousands more. Total out-of-pocket costs reached approximately $4,000, excluding storage time, labor, and equipment use. Insurance offered little relief.

“They paid for the other vehicles,” Cantu said. “But not the Tesla. That’s going to litigation.”

To work within state limits on storage fees, Ricky’s Towing now leases the Firebox through its environmental services division—one way operators are adapting to regulations that have yet to catch up with EV realities.

Training Program in the Works

Video from the incident showed firefighters climbing onto the Firebox while the vehicle burned, an action Cantu says highlights a widespread training gap. “That could’ve ended badly,” he said. “That thing could’ve exploded.”

In response, the company has scheduled a two-day EV safety course covering battery fires, containment systems, and contamination risks, inviting local and volunteer fire departments to attend. Ricky’s Towing has also invested in high-temperature fire blankets, providing one to a local department for training and evaluation.

“They don’t even have these yet,” Cantu said. “We want them to use it, film it, and tell us what happens. We’re all learning.”

Preparing for What’s Next

As electric vehicles—and electric semis—become more common on major freight corridors, containment challenges will only grow. “Some electric semis won’t even fit in a Firebox,” Cantu said. “That’s the next problem.”

Despite the cost, he believes incident-management towers should seriously consider containment systems. “This isn’t about equipment,” he said. “It’s about protecting people. I walk that yard every day. I don’t want one of my guys walking past a vehicle when it decides to blow.”

In this case, preparation made the difference. “We bought the Firebox just weeks before this happened,” Cantu said. “And it did exactly what it was supposed to do.”