SEATTLE — A fire late Sunday night in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood damaged or destroyed four Tesla Cybertrucks, prompting an ongoing investigation into potential arson and its possible motives.
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) has yet to determine whether foul play was involved. Meanwhile, Seattle police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are assisting in the investigation.
Footage from a Seattle Department of Transportation traffic camera captured the moment the trucks erupted into flames just after 11 p.m.
“I saw some flickering, got a little closer, and then—boom—big explosion, tall flames,” said Jay Fleming, who was out walking his dog when he witnessed the fire. “One of these trucks just lit up on its own, so I called it in.”
Fleming told Daytro DailyNews he did not see anyone in the vicinity as he called 911 and waited for emergency responders.
“At first, it was just flickering, then there was an explosion. The flames shot up about 8 to 10 feet, and it was extremely bright,” he said. “The lithium batteries ignited one after another, making it difficult to control the fire.”
The trucks were parked in a fenced lot near 2nd Ave and Spokane Street, alongside at least 50 other electric vehicles awaiting delivery to dealerships or buyers.
Firefighters quickly arrived and extinguished the flames. Drone footage from Daytro DailyNews revealed extensive damage: one Cybertruck was reduced to a charred metal frame, another suffered severe burns with melted windows, while two others sustained less extensive damage.
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The SFD Energy Response Team was also present to address any potential hazards from the lithium-ion batteries.
By Monday afternoon, Seattle fire investigators and ATF officials were on-site, working to determine the cause of the fire.
With a starting price of at least $80,000, the loss of the vehicles raises further concerns about whether the incident is linked to the ongoing protests against Tesla owner Elon Musk. Demonstrations in the Pacific Northwest and across the country have been fueled by his role in the Trump administration, specifically as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has overseen more than 62,000 federal job cuts.
“This isn’t my approach, nor is it the approach of the people I work with,” said Devin Hermanson, an organizer of local Tesla protests, speaking to Daytro DailyNews. “It’s just not how we operate, and frankly, it doesn’t help our cause. We want people to see us as a peaceful movement.”
Hermanson distanced his group from the fire, stating they had no involvement and condemning the act.
“When people feel unheard and see their democracy unraveling, they sometimes react in ways we don’t condone,” he added. “I don’t support this kind of action, but I do understand the frustration behind it.”
