There has been a second Tesla Model S fire that no one is talking about. According to motorsport blog Axis of Oversteer, the incident was initially reported on Latin news page Progreso Hoy. Progreso Hoy reported the Tesla Model S fire occurred Thursday evening, October 17.
According to reports, Merida Police of Mexico's eastern Yucatan state announced that the driver of the Tesla Model S was speeding before he lost control and struck a median. "Speeding again caused a car accident in which the driver ended up crashing into part of the roundabout, then against the wall Banamex [bank] and end against a tree in the center median of North Avenue Merida," stated Progreso Hoy.
Following the crash, Progreso Hoy says the driver involved in the Tesla Model S fire fled from the scene before state police and firemen arrived at the scene. The story behind the driver's decision to flee the scene is unknown but at least it confirms that the driver has not sustained any life threatening injuries. The driver of the Tesla Model S was later identified as Orlando Castillo.
The following Tesla Model S fire incident in Merida, Mexico, follows closely behind another Tesla Model S fire that occurred earlier this month. At the time, firefighters cut open the vehicles firewall to access a flame originating from the Tesla battery pack. According to Tesla, puncturing the firewall was a major mistake as vents over the battery pack actually feed the fire even more.
Now, firefighters across the country are responding to the new generation of electric cars by conducting new car fire fighting training to include containing a electric vehicle fire. The training program involves exercises involving dummy cars engulfed in flames. While the chemical and materials in electric batteries are a new challenge for firefighters, Jeff Pugh of the Puyallup Extrication Team insists that a fire is still a fire and the fundamentals are the same-- "Whether it’s a battery pack burning or the parts of the car burning, it doesn’t matter. You’ve gotta cool it and take the oxygen away.”
Finally, International Business Times reached out to Tesla Motors for a statement on the fire: We were able to contact the driver quickly and are pleased that he is safe. This was a significant accident where the car was traveling at such a high speed that it smashed through a concrete wall and then hit a large tree, yet the driver walked away from the car with no permanent injury. He is appreciative of the safety and performance of the car and has asked if we can expedite delivery of his next Model S."
Be sure to watch the video of the incredible Tesla Model S fire in Mexico below:
