Fire at Tesla car dealership ‘now under control’
A fire at a Tesla car dealership which has damaged at least half of the premises is now under control, according to firefighters.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to the centre in Crawley at 10.29am on Saturday where they said the building was “well alight”.
An eyewitness described hearing “many small explosions” coming from the building.
About 50 firefighters and eight fire engines, as well as an aerial ladder platform and an incident command unit, were initially scrambled to the scene in County Oak Way.
⚠️⚠️ The Tesla car dealership building in #Crawley is currently well alight. We were called at 10.29am, crews at scene. Please avoid this busy area.
— West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (@WestSussexFire) March 2, 2019
The fire service posted on Twitter: “The Tesla car dealership building in #Crawley is currently well alight. We were called at 10.29am, crews at scene. Please avoid this busy area.”
It added: “We are currently in attendance of a significant fire in Crawley, on County Oak Way. Six engines and an Aerial Ladder Platform at scene.”
Eyewitness Thomas Ferryman told GetSurrey that he had heard “many small explosions”, which he believed could be batteries for the electric vehicles.
A spokeswoman for the fire service said that the fire was now under control, and the firefighters were searching the building for any remaining hotspots.
She said that approximately 50% of the single storey building, 50 metres by 30 metres in size, had been damaged by fire and heat – and about 50 firefighters had attended the incident.
Crawley Tesla fire update:Incident under control & being scaled back. Thanks @SurreyFRS for assisting.Four appliances remain at scene.
— West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (@WestSussexFire) March 2, 2019
She added: “Four appliance are still at the scene with an aerial platform and an incident command unit.
“The incident is now being scaled down as we have put a stop message on it, meaning it won’t get any bigger.
“They are now just locating any hotspots in the property to make sure it is extinguished and we will return later to ensure the fire is out.”
The fire comes as the electric car manufacturer has announced plans to close its dealerships and to sell its vehicle online only, raising doubts about the future of its sites in the UK and Ireland.
The Silicon Valley firm has not confirmed the number of store closures or job losses, but Tesla has 378 stores and locations worldwide – including 18 stores in the UK and Ireland.
