Electric car explodes in shed on Sunshine Coast

An electric car charging in a Sunshine Coast shed has caught fire and exploded overnight, completely destroying the vehicle and structure. See the photos.

Charging car causes shed explosion. Picture - contributed.

An electric car charging in a home garage has caught fire and exploded overnight, completely destroying the structure.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services sent a crew to extinguish a shed fire at a home at Maleny at 10.55pm.

A QFES spokesman said initial reports indicated the car had caught fire in the shed which then became fully involved.

He said crews had it extinguished by 12.45am, but it had regintied at 5.30am this morning.

“Police are investigating,” he said.

Emergency services at the scene. Picture - contributed.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the owner of the car heard a “large bang” in the garage and saw a power box glowing orange.

She said police had finalised the investigation and concluded the fire was caused by the electric car being charged via an extension cord – connected to the power box.

She said it was non suspicious and the garage and car were completely gutted by the fire.

Emergency services were also called to a car fire northbound on the Bruce Highway, near Tanawha, at 1.30am.

A QFES spokesman said there were reports of a minibus on fire on the side of the Bruce Highway.

He said it was well involved and still on fire when paramedics arrived on scene.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the mini bus run off the road in a single vehicle crash before it caught alight.

She said someone else drove past, saw the bus on fire, and called triple-0.

Charging car causes shed explosion. Picture - contributed.

“They pulled over and tried to extract the driver from the vehicle,” she said.

“They got them out before the vehicle became fully involved.”

The male driver was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital by paramedics stable with facial injuries for a toxicology report.

Emergency services also responded to a two-vehicle crash on Cooroy Noosa Rd and Sivyers Rd, at Tinbeerwah at 5.50am.

A QFES spokesman said both vehicles had run off the road and there were no entrapments.

QPS were on the scene but said it was a minor crash.

Paramedics also transported a man in his 50s to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition after he was pulled from a public pool on the Esplanade at 5.20am.

Originally published as Electric car explodes in shed on Sunshine Coast