EMIGRANT GAP – The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the California Highway Patrol, says it has launched a safety investigation into the crash and fire involving a Tesla semi-trailer truck in Placer County.

The electric-powered semi-trailer truck left the roadway and struck trees on eastbound Interstate 80 near the Emigrant Gap area shortly after 3 a.m. Monday.

During the accident, the vehicle’s battery caught fire and burned for several hours, completely closing the highway for the entire evening. Although the semi-truck left the road, the CHP stated that the accident created a hazardous situation due to the toxic fumes released by the burning battery.

Nobody was injured in the accident or the fire.

The NTSB said in a statement that it would take a close look at the tractor-trailer’s batteries.

“The NTSB is investigating this incident because of its interest in the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries,” the NTSB said.

CBS Sacramento has reached out to CHP and Tesla for comment on the safety investigation, but no response was received at the time of publication.

Investigators will be back at Emigrant Gap on Thursday, the NTSB said. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.

History has shown that fighting battery fires in electric vehicles is difficult for firefighters because large amounts of resources are required to extinguish the fire and because the fire produces toxic fumes.

On Tuesday, CBS Sacramento spoke with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District about the difficulties of fighting electric vehicle fires.

While about 2,700 liters of water would be needed to extinguish a typical fire in a gasoline-powered vehicle, fires in electric vehicles require significantly more resources, says Captain Daniel Hoy, possibly “several thousand” liters of water.