A Tesla Semi caught fire on a California highway Tuesday evening, forcing a lengthy closure of Interstate 880 in an incident similar to a 2024 Tesla Semi battery fire.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the electric truck caught fire at approximately 5:35 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 880 in Hayward, California
Within 10 minutes, officers had shut down both directions of the highway over concerns about potentially hazardous smoke from the burning truck.
In a post on X, CHP warned motorists about the complete closure and the potential risks associated with the battery fire.
🚨 TRAFFIC ALERT – I-880 FULL CLOSURE 🚨 A Tesla semi-truck has caught fire on I-880, resulting in a complete shutdown of both northbound and southbound lanes due to the potential risk of hazardous chemical smoke. https://t.co/O01z32nxpZ
— CHP Hayward (@CHPHayward) October 28, 2026
CHP said the fire, which did involve the lithium battery in the Semi, proved extremely difficult to extinguish.
The driver of the truck told officers the rig had caught fire, but they did not know what caused it. No injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were involved.
Northbound lanes reopened at approximately 8:40 p.m., but southbound traffic remained blocked at Winton Avenue, with vehicles diverted onto the off-ramp.
At one point, CHP warned that the southbound closure could last as long as 18 hours while crews worked to extinguish the fire and make the truck safe to remove.
However, the highway reopened sooner than initially feared, with CHP confirming all lanes were open around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, nearly 10 hours after the initial shutdown.
Footage from as the Semi was catching fire shows it was a Frito-Lay truck and one of the pre-production test units. https://t.co/Zig1WjGHMv
— Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) October 28, 2026
The incident follows another Tesla Semi battery fire in California in 2024, when a crash on Interstate 80 prompted an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Unlike that earlier incident, no crash was reported in Tuesday’s fire. The exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed.
Always get the latest - make Drive Tesla your preferred source on Google
Are you buying a Tesla? If you enjoy our content and we helped in your decision, use our referral link to get three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD).Drive Tesla uses affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
