Well, this is certainly one way to ring in 2025.
A vehicle fire was reported outside of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas earlier this morning, and video taken at the scene apparently shows that a Tesla Cybertruck was involved.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal confirmed that police and fire officials are investigating a blaze that was first reported around 8:40 a.m. outside the hotel, which is located just off the Las Vegas Strip. Video taken from inside the hotel lobby shows a Cybertruck burning just outside the building’s doors. Las Vegas’ 8 News Now reports that the fire “started in or near the hotel valet area and was put out by firefighters.”
No other details, including the cause of the fire or whether any other vehicles were involved, are known at this time. On its X account, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that the fire has been extinguished and an investigation is underway. Residents and visitors are being advised to avoid the area. It is also unclear if any injuries were reported as well.
The blaze caught widespread attention on social media due to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close involvement with President-elect Donald Trump; indeed, Musk and Trump celebrated New Year’s Eve together at the incoming president’s Mar-a-Lago hotel and resort in Florida. But whether the fire involving the Cybertruck was some kind of intentional act or a coincidental accident has not been determined by any fire or law enforcement officials as of this writing.
Electric vehicle fires are statistically more rare than fires involving gasoline-powered cars, but their lithium-ion batteries make extinguishing those blazes much more difficult.
This is a breaking news post. It will be updated as more details emerge.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
