Multiple electric Cadillacs caught fire Friday afternoon at a Fort Worth dealership, sending heavy smoke into the air and keeping firefighters at the scene for hours.
Firefighters responded shortly after 4 p.m. October 9 to Frank Kent Cadillac, located at 3500 W. Loop 820 near Camp Bowie Boulevard, after several Cadillac electric vehicles caught fire on the dealership lot, DFW Scanner reported.
Images from the scene showed multiple vehicles engulfed in flames and a large column of dark smoke.
The large fire appeared to have destroyed several vehicles, reported CBS Texas. Firefighters remained at the dealership after extinguishing the flames.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire had not been determined as of Saturday morning, and authorities had not publicly identified the exact number or models of vehicles damaged.
Dealership Thanks First Responders
Frank Kent Cadillac said in a Facebook statement Friday evening that no one was injured and credited firefighters with bringing the blaze under control before it could spread to neighboring businesses or surrounding grassland.
The dealership specifically thanked Fort Worth Fire Department Station 23 and said it planned to provide meals to the firehouse.
DFW Scanner reported that Engine 23, Quint 23, Engine 18 and Engine 16 remained at the scene more than five hours after the initial response.
The extended response does not establish that the electric vehicles’ high-voltage batteries caused the fire or that the batteries experienced thermal runaway. Fort Worth officials had not publicly identified an ignition source or provided detailed investigative findings as of Saturday morning.
EV Battery Fires Present Distinct Challenges
When an electric vehicle’s high-voltage lithium-ion battery becomes involved in a fire, however, it can create additional challenges for firefighters.
The National Transportation Safety Board explains that damaged cells in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway, an uncontrolled increase in temperature and pressure that can lead to battery reignition.
The agency examined four EV fires for a safety report, including three involving batteries damaged in high-speed crashes. All three of those crash-damaged batteries reignited after firefighters initially extinguished the vehicle fires.
The NTSB has also called for vehicle-specific emergency guidance addressing the extinguishment of high-voltage battery fires, thermal runaway, reignition risks and the safe transportation and storage of damaged electric vehicles.
Friday’s fire occurred during Fire Prevention Week, which runs October 4-10 this year. The National Fire Protection Association’s 2026 theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” focuses on reducing lithium-ion battery fire risks through safer charging practices.
The campaign advises consumers to use manufacturer-approved charging equipment, charge devices on hard, flat surfaces, unplug devices when fully charged and stop using batteries that show warning signs such as overheating or swelling.
