A Tesla vehicle was destroyed by fire in Florida on Thursday due to flooding from Hurricane Idalia.
Pinellas Park Police Department officials determined the Tesla was destroyed after it caught fire behind the trailer.A spokesman for the department told Weekly newspaper “The owner parked the car near a beach that was flooded during the storm.”
The owner parked the vehicle near North 66th Street and Park Avenue, they said. Instead of trying to move the vehicle himself, he called a tow truck for help. The spokesman said the incident, which occurred around 7:30 a.m. ET, was “primarily a fire department call and investigation.”
Shortly after the incident, Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis issued a warning to all electric vehicle owners to stay away from areas that could be damaged by flooding from Hurricane Idalia.
Courtesy of Pinellas Park Fire Department
In a statement earlier this week, Patronis said: “We have seen multiple fires related to electric vehicles from Hurricane Ian. We know that salt water from storm surges can damage these batteries and cause fires. Difficult to put out.” “The best thing a fire department can do is let the water stay on the battery until the fuel burns out. Stay in the garage and you’re creating a real fire threat to your home, your community and first responders.”
Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, bringing high wind speeds and heavy rainfall to parts of Florida.
“Expect catastrophic effects from storm surge inundation and destructive waves 12 to 16 feet above the Wakulla/Jefferson county line and above ground,” Tampa Bay’s National Weather Service posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. Florida Yankeetown, State. In parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast where storm surge warnings are in effect, life-threatening storm surge flooding is possible elsewhere. “
A similar incident occurred Wednesday in Palm Harbor, Florida, when fire officials had to rescue a flood-damaged Tesla.
“If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has been exposed to salt water due to flooding within the last 24 hours, it is critical to remove the vehicle from the garage immediately. Vehicles moved to higher ground,” Palm Harbor Fire and Rescue said on Facebook.
