Tesla catches fire on Sacramento freeway, sparks small grass fire near Interstate 80

A driver was hospitalized Monday after a Tesla electric car caught fire on westbound Interstate 80 just west of Madison Avenue in the Old Foothill Farms section of Sacramento County.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 8:52 a.m. after the burning vehicle was seen by motorists just east of the Interstate 80-Capital City Freeway split. The driver was taken to a hospital for injuries, but no other details on the person’s condition were available.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel also tended to nearby brush that caught fire on the westbound freeway’s shoulder. Firefighters in a social media post showed pictures of the destroyed vehicle and said the fire also burned a utility pole and a palm tree.

The fire was put out and traffic returned to normal about 90 minutes later, according to Metro Fire’s incident log.