The unique Tesla risk of fire has been described in detail by Australian emergency responders.

A Tesla driver suffered serious burns following an crash that triggered a “thermal runaway” battery fire on Friday.

Emergency services shut down the Pacific Highway near Rainbow Flat at about 2.30pm on Friday afternoon after a Tesla Model Y crashed south of Taree.

An Ambulance Service of NSW spokeswoman confirmed that paramedics treated a man in his 40s for burns to his face, hands and arms before taking him to Manning Base Hospital at Taree.

The story reads so far that this man was primarily, if not only, treated for fire. Did the doors fail, trapping him in fire coming into the cabin (e.g. firewall design failure)?

No other brands were cited by firefighters in their description of severe thermal runaway risks, the kind that put this Tesla owner in critical condition.