[dragontamer]

> Now imagine the same situation with Tesla's huge semi batteries.

I'm bearish on Tesla (not financially, but I'm mostly a pessimist in regards to their news).

But to be perfectly fair: I'm not sure if 400 gallons of diesel fuel (typical in a 18-wheeler) could be put out by a typical fire-department.

There was a tractor-truck spill due to an accident in my area once. The fire-department closed down BOTH sides of a 2x2 lane highway (55 MPH zone, very few traffic lights, a grassy median). You don't mess with 400-gallons of inflammable diesel.

The good thing about diesel is that you can just, burn it out. Burn all of it. Close down the highway of course, but once it stops burning, its safe to cross. It may take 30 minutes to an hour (all the people stuck in traffic can get out of their car, talk with each other, play on cell phones or something...), but a controlled burn is better than an explosion.

I'm not sure if Lithium Ion has a good procedure yet.

[blevin]

A decade ago a fuel-tanker truck crashed on a freeway overpass in Oakland, and the ensuing fire softened enough steel for the overpass to collapse:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/30collapse.html

The overpass was reconstructed and I-580 highway reopened after 26 days:

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/A-MAZE-ING-His-reputa...