We have new information about that March 9th 2025 fire that burned four Cybertrucks in Seattle. The fire started during a wave of arsons that seemed to strike worldwide in early March, so speculation was already running hot about the cause of the blaze.
Well, turns out, the Fire Investigators almost instantaneously discovered strong evidence of arson. We’ve just been forwarded the official documents today.
Arson “Most Likely” According to Fire Investigator’s Scene Report
This is a story that tells itself, in quotes from 2 official documents.
From the Fire Investigator’s Scene Report:
“Unknown suspect(s) most likely entered the fenced-in parking lot through a gap in the NW corner of the enclosure and used a hand held flame to ignite two Tesla Cybertrucks parked nearby.”
And from the Fire Department’s Report Narrative:
“During the extinguishment phase [the first responding unit] noticed that there was a large hole in the corner of the fence surrounding the lot behind and adjacent to the involved trucks less than 15 feet away.”
It’s interesting that the Fire Department noticed the large hole in the fence and yet none of the early reporting journalists on-site picked up on it. Kudos to the keen-eyed officer on scene for calling in the Fire Investigation Unit, who in turn seem to have looped in the federal agents at ATF.
Not to Be Confused with Cybertrucks Exploding for Other Reasons… or No Reason at All
Covering Cybertruck fires is tricky business.
Sometimes, they just explode for no definite reason. They just do that sometimes. Like this Cybertruck on a Tesla dealer lot in Atlanta GA, where the local Fire Department’s best guess is that the battery spontaneously ignited.
That incendiary tendency is part of the inspiration for unfavorable comparisons, such as the Tesla Cybertruck being more explosive than the Ford Pinto.
And that doesn’t even include the widely reported Cybertruck fire in Los Angeles from a few days ago.
Not Every Cybertruck Fire is Arson
Now, I only even mention the Los Angeles Cybertruck fire because we got an encouraging update: the driver, who is a kid and we’ve seen zero evidence he did anything wrong, has come out of his coma and is up and walking around. Glad he’s on the mend!
That’s a wild case on its own. The Good Samaritan who pulled the kid out of the burning Cybertruck through a window reports that the doors could not be opened, which sucks, but unfortunately fits the pattern: Tesla doors often can’t be operated if the main power is cut (as in, say, a crash).
From the local ABC7 affiliate, the security footage shows the Cybertruck colliding with a tree after running over a fire hydrant and immediately erupting into a fireball. Not a slow-burn situation at all, a literal fireball. Not a great look from a safety standpoint.
More Tough Headlines for Tesla
None of this is good news for Tesla. The truck that they marketed as “bulletproof” and a “futuristic armored personnel carrier” seems to go up in flames at the drop of a hat… whether at the hands of “unknown suspect(s)” or in otherwise non-fatal crashes.
This brings our count of (“most likely”) arson attacks on Teslas in just the first half of March 2025 to an even 10… from coast to coast in the U.S. and all across Europe.
It probably doesn’t help that a certain Twitter feed is amplifying zero-evidence claims that the Democratic party is bankrolling these disparate attacks in multiple countries. To be clear: From the official documents of fire investigators on scene, the perpetrators in Seattle are “unknown suspect(s).”
Stay tuned, we’ll update if more details crop up!
*Cover image courtesy of SDOT.
