On Sunday night, the New Bedford Fire Department was alerted to a fire at Lech Garage & Auto Body at 103 N Front St, New Bedford.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a fully engulfed automobile. Preliminary investigation suggests that the particular car had been towed from the Gifford Street boat ramp after being submerged in the water. The vehicle caught on fire at some point after it had been dropped off at Lech’s Garage & Auto Body parking lot.
One astute resident, Jessica Monteiro, mentioned the possibility of it being an electric car, “I don’t know what kind of car it is. But if it’s a electric car then the tow company should have pulled the battery out as soon as it came out of water.
When electric cars are submerged in salt water, something to do with the salt that’s left on the battery and gets in it causes it to self-heat causing it to catch fire. Tesla is [in]famous for it happening.”
The incident is in its early stage of investigation and more details are expected to emerge later today.
All photos by Carlos Pimental Felix:
[metaslider id=”215510″]Lech Auto Body pulling a car out of the water down at the Gifford St. Boat ramp in New Bedford. Video by Carlos Pimental Felix.
Video by Carlos Pimental Felix.
Video by Carlos Pimental Felix.