Tesla catches fire at RDU, leading to backups and missed flights
Major delays were reported Tuesday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport after a Tesla caught fire.
A spokesperson from RDU told WRAL News there were no injuries after the Tesla Model S caught fire around 5 a.m. near the parking garage on John Brantley Boulevard.
"Expect heavy traffic accessing the terminals and parking garage on John Brantley Boulevard due to a vehicle fire earlier this morning," RDU officials said Tuesday morning on X. "Lanes are open but traffic is moving slowly."
Around noon, burn markings remained near the entrance for Terminal 1. The frame of the car was seen being towed away.
In the comments of the post, there are several videos of a car completely engulfed in flames.
Airport officials said Raleigh, Morrisville and Cary fire departments responded.
WRAL News spoke with a woman who said she missed her flight Tuesday due to a shuttle delay. After 40 minutes of waiting in traffic, and another 30 minutes waiting for a shuttle in the economy lot, Amber Craig had to call it quits on her business travel plans.
"I just knew I had pretty much no chance," Craig said. "I just headed home. when I went to cancel my flight, there were 20 seats empty that weren't empty earlier this morning, so I know my flight at least had 20 less people than planned."
In July, a Tesla burst into flames on I-140 in Wilmington.
A 2020 report by the National Fire Protection Association said "electric vehicle fires can occur when a vehicle is stationary due to extreme temperatures, high humidity, or internal cell failure."
