SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Carmel Valley family is living in a hotel after a fire broke out in their garage last weekend in the middle of the night. While the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is still investigating the cause, the family believes it's possible their Tesla charging in the garage at the time may have started the fire.
Forest and Julianna Flodin returned to their home Sunday to speak with ABC 10News. The couple has three children who started school the week of the fire.
The Flodins wore N95 masks and medical gloves, hoping to avoid further smoke inhalation and contact with ash on their remaining clothes.
"In Southern California, you kind of use your garage as your storage because you don't have space in the house," Julianna said. "We have no shoes (now) because we don't wear shoes in the house," she added.
The couple has rented the home on Nahama Lane in Carmel Valley for six years, and nearly three of those included the Tesla that’s now melted in the garage. While the homeowner has insurance, the couple is still waiting on assistance from their renter’s insurance, which Julianna says hasn't been as helpful as they'd hoped.
Forest said the homeowner hired a "good electrician" to install the charger for the Tesla.
Now, the family is struggling without their belongings while waiting for insurance help.
"Our youngest (daughter) went to softball practice the other day, and her team is awesome ... they found some stuff for her, and it was cool, but like she gets up to bat, and she's like, 'Oh, yeah, I don't have a batting helmet,'" Forest said. "It's just been really hard."
While Forest and Julianna aren’t sure what caused the fire, they say the fire department told them it was either an electrical issue in the garage or the Tesla that was charging overnight.
"There was an inspector for the homeowner’s insurance out last week, and he looked through all the wiring and went through the garage very carefully. He said he thinks it’s probably the Tesla, but he’s not 100% sure," Forest said.
Cal Fire San Diego Capt. Michael Cornette said firefighters rarely respond to fires started by electric vehicles.
"They are fairly uncommon right now," Cornette said. "But we have seen fires in the past involving lithium-ion batteries."
The car's charging manual doesn’t advise against charging it indoors and doesn’t mention the word “garage” either.
For now, Forest and Julianna don’t think they’ll ever charge an electric vehicle in the garage again.
Still, they are doing their best to get by.
"I’m so happy that my family is safe, but it’s like your whole life is gone," Julianna said, fighting back tears.
