"They will reignite if you stop water flowing and it looks like it's gone, it'll just rekindle."Fill It UpAfter crashing a Tesla Model X into a pole, then a pump at a west Austin gas station on Thursday, an underage driver was charged with driving while drunk.The driver was not hurt and managed to get out of the car before it caught on fire. The incident did not ignite the station's gasoline supply. However, ironically, the vehicle batteries exploded and flamed for hours. This was yet another example of local departments trying to extinguish an electric vehicle fire.Water NationABC13 reports that the Model X fire required 40 times more water than what would have been needed to extinguish a traditional fuel-powered car fire.Thayer Smith, a local fire chief, explained to the station that the car runs entirely off battery power. There is a battery pack under the frame. This is another thing that can be difficult to reach.AdvertisementAdvertisementHe also said that once they have started to burn, they can be very difficult to extinguish. If you stop water flow, they will re-ignite.Normal car fires can be put out with 500-1000 gallons water. But Teslas require 30,000-40,000gallons of water to extinguish once the battery packs start burning. Smith explained this to CBS Austin.Battery FireNot only electric vehicles are on fire. This news comes just two weeks after an Australian Tesla battery power plant fire. According to Insider, it took 150 firefighters four days for the fire to be extinguished.Some reports have suggested that electric cars charging in random places could catch fire in homes. However, the risks are still unknown.AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, these incidents show that disasters are possible and that fire departments still have to learn how to deal with them.READ MORE:Juvenile driver is charged in Austin crash that left Tesla in flames [ABC13]More about battery fires
