Friday, a huge fire broke out in the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) hourly garage. About 50 cars were damaged, and the garage structure partially collapsed. Initial reports blamed a Tesla EV for causing the fire, but investigators now point the finger at a hybrid car instead.

Many Americans are suspicious of electric vehicles, which they still consider bombs on wheels, ready to go off at any time. Battery fires are indeed dreadful events, but they happen much less frequently than most people believe. Statistics consistently show that EVs are 10 times less likely to catch fire than combustion vehicles. Despite this evidence, people still blame electric cars for every fire involving vehicles.

Because Tesla sells most electric vehicles, many associate the carmaker with all the problems attributed to EVs. Of course, a fire involving cars couldn't have started without a Tesla involved, even if evidence shows otherwise. This happened again when a huge fire broke out in the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) hourly parking. The first rumors blamed a Tesla for starting the fire.

On Friday afternoon, people noticed smoke coming out of the garage. The flames quickly engulfed the second floor and expanded despite firefighters' efforts. About 50 vehicles were damaged, and the parking structure partially collapsed, making it more difficult to access the cars in the garage.

Officials said that parts of the garage will be closed indefinitely, while some parts may require demolition. This affects airport operation, considering that the parking had a capacity of over 1,000 vehicles. Travelers might not be able to come with their cars to the airport, while the vehicles parked there will not be accessible until engineers assess the building's safety and allow owners to remove their cars.

Investigators had a video showing the fire starting, but they could not immediately confirm what type of vehicle it was. The rumor mill caught that information and amplified it for anti- EV propaganda, with some even claiming it was a Tesla that broke into flames and caused the mayhem. However, investigators now think it may have been a hybrid vehicle that caused the fire.

Statistics show that hybrid vehicles are more likely to catch fire than purely combustion vehicles. It's unclear why this happens, but we can speculate that their battery packs are cycled more aggressively, leading to accelerated wear. It's not uncommon for hybrids, especially plug-in hybrid vehicles, to need a replacement battery much sooner than EVs. Having a swollen battery and a tank of gas in close proximity to each other could increase the risk of a fire.

Li-ion battery fires are especially dangerous because they are very difficult to extinguish . Because a battery cell contains all the ingredients to sustain a fire, including by generating its own oxygen, the fire only stops when the chemical reactions stop, or the flammable substances burn completely. The best chance at putting out a battery fire is by cooling the cells, which stops the chemical reactions that generate oxygen and keep the fire going.