A Tesla Model S was deliberately set ablaze in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Thursday night, as reported by the Seattle Police Department. Witnesses informed authorities that a man doused the vehicle with gasoline, ignited it, and fled the scene. The fire caused significant damage, affecting the right front tire area, melting a quarter of the panel, the hood, and the car’s battery.
This act of vandalism appears to be in response to Elon Musk’s role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has been associated with substantial reductions in the federal workforce and cuts to various foreign and domestic aid programs that he has labeled as “government waste.”
The Seattle Fire Department quickly responded to the incident and extinguished the fire. Police are treating the case as arson, but the suspect remains unidentified. Authorities located the gas can used in the arson nearby and obtained security footage showing the suspect carrying both the gas can and a plastic bag.
This incident marks the fourth act of vandalism involving Teslas in Washington state within the week. Earlier, four cybertrucks caught fire at a Tesla storage facility on 4th Avenue, near Spokane Street in the SODO neighborhood. Reported fires at Tesla storage lots and dealerships indicate a pattern of targeted attacks. The vandalism at the Lynnwood dealership, where cybertrucks were defaced with swastikas and offensive messages, points to a deeper level of animosity potentially fueled by Musk’s controversial public persona and decisions.
The following day, a Tesla dealership in Lynnwood reported six of its cybertrucks had been vandalized with swastikas and derogatory messages aimed at Musk. Additionally, the FBI confirmed on Wednesday that it is investigating a series of fires at Tesla charging stations in Centralia, as similar incidents have been reported across the country.
