TIJUANA, Mexico — A driver within the Mexican border metropolis of Tijuana apparently had the brilliant concept of connecting his Tesla to an unlawful electrical energy hookup linked on to a powerline.
Not solely did the Tesla ultimately burst into flames, the blaze was so scorching it set a neighboring home on fireplace.
Rafael Carrillo, Tijuana’s fireplace chief, stated Tuesday that electrical automotive fires are an issue for the town’s firefighters. He stated the partially charred hulk of the Tesla would possibly take a few days to burn out utterly and possibly could not be moved till then. He stated firefighters constructed dust berms across the automotive to maintain it lined in water.
Firefighter Arturo Sánchez stated firefighters initially acquired a name Monday concerning the fireplace on the home, which was apparently unoccupied. However once they obtained to the scene in a low-income neighborhood, they discovered it was onerous to douse the flames as a result of what was fueling them was the automotive’s lithium batteries.
It was then, Sánchez stated, that he realized “this Tesla is linked on to the powerline.”
No accidents have been reported. The automotive had California plates.
Illicit electrical energy connections are a standard downside in Tijuana and lots of different cities in Mexico. Residents get free electrical energy by hooking a wire on to overhead energy strains, or ripping out {an electrical} meter and splicing into open feeder strains. The voltage and different traits of unlawful hookups can differ extensively, creating doubtlessly hazardous circumstances.