An electric vehicle fire involving a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E led to a temporary closure of eastbound Interstate 70 near Evergreen on June 12, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday.

The driver reported seeing smoke, pulled over, and exited the vehicle without injury, according to officials. When deputies arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, JCSO said.

As a precaution, I-70 eastbound was temporarily closed due to “intense flames and sparks,” according to JCSO.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Evergreen Fire Rescue, Foothills Fire Rescue, Arvada Fire, CDOT, Colorado State Patrol, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Materials Unit. Crews worked together to extinguish the fire and secure the area.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, fires in electric vehicles powered by high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose the risk of electric shock to emergency responders from exposure to the high-voltage components of a damaged lithium-ion battery.

A further risk is that damaged cells in the battery can experience thermal runaway — uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure, which can lead to battery reignition. The risks of electric shock and battery reignition or fire arise from the “stranded” energy that remains in a damaged battery.

The cause of the fire near Evergreen has not been confirmed. The Denver Gazette reached out to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Arvada Fire for more information.

At the time of publication, neither agency disclosed the initial cause of the fire.