A Tesla Model S reportedly burst into flames twice after getting a flat tire (TSLA)
- A Tesla Model S caught fire on Tuesday in Los Gatos, California, after getting a flat tire, multiple outlets reported.
- Minutes after the Model S was towed to an auto-repair shop, the front end reportedly caught fire.
- The vehicle reportedly reignited in the evening.
- "We are currently investigating the matter and are in touch with local first responders. We are glad to hear that everyone is safe," a Tesla representative told Business Insider.
A Tesla Model S caught fire on Tuesday in Los Gatos, California, after getting a flat tire, multiple outlets reported.
The owner was driving on the highway when the vehicle alerted him that one of its tires had experienced a rapid drop in tire pressure, ABC7 News reported. Minutes after the Model S was towed to an auto-repair shop, the front end reportedly caught fire. The vehicle reignited in the evening, the report said.
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"We are currently investigating the matter and are in touch with local first responders. We are glad to hear that everyone is safe," a Tesla representative told Business Insider.
The representative said Tesla vehicles catch fire less often than the average car, citing data from a US government agency and a global nonprofit. The representative added that when a Tesla does catch fire, the fire spreads slower than in a gas-powered car, giving occupants more time to exit the vehicle.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Model S owner told ABC7 News that he bought it three months before the incident and had driven it 1,200 miles, adding that he and his family would not own another Tesla vehicle.
"If this had been in the house, and we were on vacation, and this thing caught fire in the garage, the whole house could go under," he said.
#NEW @Tesla owner shares this incredible video of his car catching fire. The Saratoga resident says he got the car 3-months ago, it only had 1200-miles. Follow this thread for details on how the situation developed. Also, watch at 11 pm. #abc7now #developing pic.twitter.com/hS7yzWJOwt
— Amanda del Castillo (@AmandaABC7) December 19, 2018
In June, a Model S suddenly caught fire in Los Angeles. The fire drew attention after the actress Mary McCormack — whose husband, the British director Michael Morris, was driving the vehicle — shared a video of it on Twitter. In the video, fire can be seen beneath the vehicle's front left tire.
In a preliminary report on its investigation into that incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said it didn't cause any injuries. The agency did not offer any explanations for why the vehicle may have caught fire.
Have a Tesla news tip? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.
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