PHOENIX - Several electric semi trucks caught fire in an industrial area near 40th Street and Broadway early Friday morning, triggering a large response from HAZMAT crews in Phoenix and Tempe."I just heard an explosion, and I came out, the semis were all on fire," said John Frank.The lithium-ion battery fire is burning at the Nikola Corporation building, and officials are calling it difficult and tricky to fight.
A thick black smoke and a strong chemical smell could be sensed in the area.The explosion was caught on camera, and according to fire officials, four trucks are on fire.
As a precaution, fire officials said the Nikola Corporation headquarters we re evacuated while crews battled the blaze.Officials say there was some kind of chemical reaction in a truck's battery that sparked a fire, and this spread to other vehicles.According to the Nikola Motor Company, foul play is suspected.
The company says a vehicle was seen near the trucks right before the flames sparked.FOX 10's Anita Roman has the latest after four electric semi trucks caught fire at the Nikola building in Phoenix early Friday morning.Firefighters have been spraying water over the battery fire, but if they stop, they say the flames will reignite. "So these cells that are packed in these batteries, they contain a lot of energy in a small amount of space, so extinguishing these are very difficult," said Capt.