Musk
© Scott Olsen/Getty ImagesElon Musk
A massive fire has reportedly broken out at Australia's largest Tesla battery project and is set to burn throughout the night. A toxic smoke warning has been issued in the area of the fire, which one fire official said could burn for eight to 24 hours.

ABC News Australia reports that the fire broke out during the testing of a Tesla megapack at the Victorian Big Battery site near Geelong.

A 13-ton lithium battery burst into flames, which then spread to an adjacent battery bank further igniting the blaze. Over 150 people from Fire Rescue Victoria and the Country Fire Authority arrived on the scene to battle the flames.


The CFA's Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ian Beswicke said:
"If we try and cool them down it just prolongs the process. But we could be here anywhere from 8 to 24 hours while we wait for it to burn down."
A toxic smoke warning has been issued in the area. Residents have been warned to close windows, close fireplace flues, and bring their pets inside in the Batesford, Bell Post Hill, Lovely Banks, and Moorabool areas.

The Tesla battery was paid for by renewable energy company Neoen. In 2017, Musk promised to solve Australia's energy issues following a series of blackouts across South Australia.

Musk has long been a champion of climate-change preventing initiatives and in 2017 announced that he would be departing from all future presidential councils in protest of Former President Donald Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord.

Many were quick to ridicule the decision by Musk including Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz mocked Musk's outrage, pointing out that he regularly travels around the country in his own private jet. If the billionaire CEO was so dedicated to reducing the world's carbon output, Cruz snarked, he would choose to fly commercial planes rather than private ones.