A Florida family that narrowly escaped Hurricane Helene has survived again after their Tesla caught fire and their home burned to the ground.
The Hodges family had unplugged their Tesla Model X Plaid in their garage after several inches of water flooded their Sarasota home on September 27.
But sometime around midnight, two grandchildren heard popping noises coming from the garage and quickly realized the room was engulfed in flames.
The current Nest video shows an explosion happening underneath the electric car and it catching fire within a minute.
This moment’s Nest video shows an explosion happening underneath the electric car and it catching fire within a minute
The fire destroyed the garage before beginning to spread quickly as the fire alarm sounded and the family ran outside.
All nine people and two dogs in the house escaped unharmed.
The family later said it took less than 15 minutes for their grandchildren’s bedrooms to collapse. They were shocked that it only took a few inches of water to start such a fire.
Lisa Hodges said in tears Fox13: ‘I’m just glad we’re alive, but everything I have… We’ve been married for 38 years and everything we put into that house. We built it for our family and it’s all gone.”
Images from the next morning show their newly renovated building razed to the ground.
The fire quickly left the garage in ashes and began to spread when the fire alarm sounded and the family ran outside. All nine people and two dogs in the house escaped unharmed
Images from the next morning show their newly renovated building razed to the ground
This comes days after officials issued warnings that electric vehicles could catch fire if flooded with saltwater from Hurricane Helene.
Electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if the batteries short-circuit and begin to heat up.
“If the salt water is able to bridge the gap between the positive and negative terminals of the battery, it can cause a short circuit,” said Tom Barth, chief of the special investigations division of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Highway Safety.
Floridians have been advised to take precautions and prepare for the possibility that they may not be able to charge their cars during power outages.
The family later said it took less than 15 minutes for their grandchildren’s bedrooms to collapse and said they were very surprised that it only took a few inches of water to start such a fire.
Governor Ron DeSantis also urged EV owners this week to get their vehicles to higher ground before Hurricane Helene arrives.
Tesla has also issued similar advice, suggesting that if vehicles are ultimately exposed to salt water, they should be kept at least 50 feet away from structures or anything flammable until it can be inspected by a mechanic.