Burning Teslas Add to Toxic Mix of Pollution Delaying LA Return

As the smoke clears from devastating Los Angeles wildfires, efforts to clean up the affected areas are being complicated by burnt-out electric and hybrid vehicles and home-battery storage systems.

Lithium batteries from Tesla Inc., along with those from other carmakers, have added to the mix of toxic materials requiring specialized removal in the wake of the fires. They will delay the fire victims’ return to their properties.

“A lot of the cars in the evacuation area were lithium batteries,” said Jacqui Irwin, a state assembly member representing the Pacific Palisades, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the fires. “We’ve heard from firefighters that those lithium batteries burned fires near homes – like those with power walls – for much longer.”

The LA wildfires, which began Jan. 7, have taken at least 27 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $100 million to the cleanup efforts.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-17/burning-teslas-add-to-toxic-mix-of-cocktails-delaying-la-return?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTczNzA4NjE4MCwiZXhwIjoxNzM3NjkwOTgwLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTUTc3RkVUMEcxS1gwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNjgyQTUwQzJCRDM0MTFCQTgwQjEwQjZEQjczQzM1MSJ9.aNZTpyT9aGGZlZscwC6hEv47dGzGg0DtJEwHIqmfgYA