Aug 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Transportation

Safety Board has opened an investigation into a crash and fire

involving a Tesla electric semi-truck on a California

highway, the agency said late Wednesday.

The NTSB will carry out the safety investigation along with

the California Highway Patrol authority, it said in a post on

social media platform X.

The electric vehicle (EV) maker and the California Highway

Patrol did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for

comment.

A Tesla electric semi-truck crashed near Emigrant Cap in

northern California late on Monday night after its engine caught

fire, closing off a highway for more than half a day, local

media reports said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Auto experts say EV fires burn differently than those in

cars with internal combustion engines, often lasting longer and

are harder to extinguish as they have a tendency to reignite.