A Tesla Semi caught fire on Interstate 880 in Hayward, California, at about 5:35 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, and there was no crash. The California Highway Patrol closed the freeway in both directions because of "the potential risk of hazardous chemical smoke," CBS San Francisco reported. No injuries were reported, and the cause is under investigation.
What happened
- Where: southbound I-880 between Winton Avenue and the Highway 92 interchange, per CHP via CBS San Francisco.
- The driver: got out unhurt and told officers the truck caught fire and they didn't know why, Electrek reports. No other vehicles were involved.
- Reopening: northbound lanes reopened shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Electrek says CHP Hayward posted that all lanes were open at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, roughly 10 hours after the fire started. CHP had first warned the battery could burn for 15 to 18 hours.
Electrek says CHP photos show crews laying foam around the burned tractor, with the front of a Premier Trailer Leasing trailer charred behind it. The truck's operator hasn't been named, and Tesla hasn't commented.
Not the first time
Electrek points to an August 2024 fire on a Tesla-operated Semi on I-80 near Emigrant Gap, Calif., which the NTSB later investigated. The new fire comes as Tesla ramps the truck: see Tesla Semi is in volume production in Nevada.
What we don't know
Investigators haven't said what started the fire, whether the truck was charging recently, or who operated it. We'll update if CHP, the NTSB or Tesla releases more.
