Tesla Model S Burst Into Flames After Being Taken To Repair Shop

UPDATE: 2:09 a.m. EST — A Tesla Model S car, which caught fire Tuesday afternoon after being taken to an auto shop, reportedly reignited at a tow yard hours after the initial fire was contained.

The vehicle had been initially towed to the repair shop due to a flat tire. According to fire officials, the vehicle was not involved in a collision, neither was any repair work being done on it when it first caught fire.

Original story:

A Tesla Model S car burst into flames after it was towed to an auto shop in California's Los Gatos on Tuesday, Santa Clara County fire officials reported, adding that no one was injured in the incident. An employee of the tire shop said he noticed a hissing sound coming from the vehicle minutes before it was on fire.

According to fire Capt. Bill Murphy, the vehicle had a flat tire due to which it had been towed to the auto shop. The car was in the parking lot for about ten minutes when a witness heard a loud noise, smelled smoke and found the car on fire, Murphy said. The entire front of the Tesla was charred.

“I heard a strange hissing sound. I came out and there was smoke everywhere. So the shop immediately called the fire department,” the owner, who identified himself only by the first name, Chris, told local network KPIX 5. “And by the time they got here, the car was already on fire.”

Fire crews responded and extinguished the blaze, but the vehicle's batteries continued to burn for longer, fire officials said. Crews remained at the scene to keep the batteries cool. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

“The vehicle started off-gassing, making a loud hissing noise and producing some additional smoke,” Murphy said. “That’s an indication that there’s some type of combustion process happening in the batteries.”

A Tesla representative told KPIX 5, “We are currently investigating the matter and are in touch with local first responders. We are glad to hear that everyone is safe.”

The owner of the vehicle told NBC Bay Area his wife said: "No more Teslas."

There have been reports of other Tesla fires in the Bay Area but most of those happened after the vehicles were involved in crashes.

On Tuesday, shares of Tesla (TSLA) closed lower by 3.27 percent on Nasdaq, underperforming the broader market, with the Nasdaq Composite Index closing 0.45 percent higher. Most other auto stocks closed lower too.