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Electric Truck Fire in Tauranga: Firefighters Battle Blaze, No Injuries Reported.
ByAinvest
Saturday, May 3, 2025 8:43 pm ET1min read
Firefighters battled a fire at Bethlehem Town Centre in Tauranga, involving an electric truck with two batteries on fire. No injuries were reported. About 20 firefighters attended the scene, and a hazmat unit was also sent due to hazardous substances involved. Firefighters had to drown the batteries to allow them to cool, and a fire investigator attended to investigate the cause of the fire.
Multiple fire crews are battling an electric truck fire in the carpark outside Kmart at Bethlehem Town Centre in Tauranga. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, May 3, resulted in large clouds of billowing smoke that drifted across the surrounding area, affecting parts of Bethlehem Rd and the Bethlehem Town Centre. Nearby shops, including Kmart, Dominos, and Burger Fuel, were closed, and bystanders were evacuated.Fire Emergency New Zealand's northern shift manager, Gareth Lewis, reported that the fire involved an electric truck with two batteries on fire. No injuries were reported. Approximately 20 firefighters attended the scene, with three fire trucks from Tauranga and Greerton, and a hazmat unit was also sent due to the hazardous substances involved. The hazmat unit has special equipment to handle such incidents.
The firefighters are managing the fire by drowning the batteries with a significant amount of water to allow them to cool. This process is expected to take several hours. EV truck fires are particularly intense due to the large battery size and complex failure modes. Thermal runaway can occur during fast charging or overcharging, causing one cell in the lithium-ion battery to overheat and ignite neighboring cells, making it difficult to suppress with conventional firefighting methods.
The electric truck fire at Bethlehem Town Centre on Saturday, May 3, resulted in clouds of billowing smoke. Photo/Rosalie Liddle Crawford.
Lewis stated that a fire investigator is also in attendance to investigate the cause of the fire. The public is advised to stay clear of the scene and respect the cordons in place to allow firefighters to do their work effectively.
References:
[1] https://sunlive.co.nz/news/365332-fire-fighters-battle-bethlehem-electric-truck-fire.html
[2] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/firefighters-battle-tauranga-electric-truck-fire/ZRHBQULH6RGJLG3RA26445N3RE/
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