Two Tesla Cybertrucks were completely destroyed in a fire on the rooftop of a seven-story parking garage in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday afternoon. The blaze, reported around 3:16 p.m. at the 2200 block of Colorado Avenue near Olympic and Cloverfield Boulevards, also damaged several other Tesla vehicles, with no injuries reported. The cause remains under investigation; authorities confirmed the trucks were not plugged in for charging.
The Santa Monica Fire Department responded to heavy smoke from the rooftop parking structure attached to the Anara Santa Monica luxury apartment complex, managed by Bozzuto. Firefighters found the two Cybertrucks fully engulfed in flames, parked side by side. Thick black smoke disrupted traffic and was visible from nearby buildings; aerial footage captured the charred vehicles.
Crews hauled equipment up seven levels and quickly knocked down the fire. Both Cybertrucks were total losses, and nearby Tesla vehicles sustained heat and flame damage. No injuries occurred among residents, visitors, or firefighters. The site is residential and unaffiliated with Tesla, though a company Service and Collision Center is about a mile away at 1100 Colorado Avenue. Authorities have not identified owners or explained the clustering of multiple Teslas on the rooftop.
The Santa Monica Police and Fire Departments reported the incident before 3:30 p.m. An investigation into the cause is ongoing. Tesla representatives arrived due to lithium-ion battery thermal runaway risks.
This adds to prior Cybertruck fires, including one in Atlanta in January 2025 (suspected battery issue) and four in Seattle in March 2025 (suspected arson). The model has faced over a dozen recalls since production began, with about 63,600 units made through October 2025 per NHTSA data.