NFL star and family survive house fire ‘caused by Tesla charger’

An NFL star and his family have survived a house fire that was apparently started by a Tesla charger in their garage.

Randall Cobb, 33, escaped from the blaze along with his wife Aiyda and three sons Cade, Caspian and Chance – and even returned to save their pet dog, Louie.

No one from the family was injured but the fire caused extensive damage to the property in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We are lucky to be alive,” said Aiyda Cobb in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

“The Tesla charger caught on fire in the garage late last night and quickly spread. We got out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our back and no shoes on our feet.”

Her post also included a photo of the family garage, which showed soot-covered possessions.

The American football player later wrote on his Instagram: “First and foremost, we are all safe and healthy.

“We got out of the house and I was able to go back in and get our dog, Louie. We can’t thank Chief Caruthers, Captain Irvin and the Nashville Fire Department enough for their swift action.

“I can’t get the image of the brave firefighter getting into position out of my head; he didn’t even have water to shoot yet.

“I truly thought the cars were going to explode and that we would lose him to this tragedy. He is a true hero.

“Unfortunately we don’t know how much, if anything, will be salvageable, but this has been a reminder that nothing is more important than the health of our family.

“We are grateful for our incredible community in Nashville, and the support from our close friends who have given us a temporary roof over our heads and shoulders to lean on.”

Mr Cobb is currently seeking a new NFL team after being released by the New York Jets last season. Previously, he played for 10 years with the Green Bay Packers.

Fire investigators have yet to confirm whether or not the Tesla charger was the cause.

Research published last year by Verisk Analytics, which reports on data analytics and risk assessment, suggested electric vehicles may not catch fire as often as vehicles with combustion engines.

However, it said that EV battery fires can burn up to one thousand degrees hotter than a combustion engine fire, creating major challenges for fire departments in tackling such blazes.

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