Man with gasoline can torches Tesla in Seattle’s Capitol Hill

In Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, a man was seen pouring gasoline on the hood of a white Tesla and setting it on fire, according to The Capitol Hill Blog.

A witness described watching the suspect carrying a red gasoline can and igniting the fire before running away. The witness chased after the suspect but could not catch him. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said they recovered the gas can and no one was injured. The Tesla, a white 2022 Model S Tesla, was parked near 15th Avenue and Harrison Street.

15th Avenue was closed to traffic as first responders doused the fire and towed the vehicle away.

Related on MyNorthwest: Tesla Cybertrucks burn overnight in Seattle, KIRO Newsradio reporter threatened with knife while covering

Previous attacks against Tesla vehicles

Agents with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are investigating how four Teslas, including three Cybertrucks, caught fire in a storage lot in Seattle’s SODO District Sunday night. All four vehicles were destroyed by the fires, which appeared to start inside the vehicles.

Earlier this week, a Tesla owner in Lynnwood said vandals spray-painted swastikas on six Cybertrucks, including his own. The owner told KTTH’s Jason Rantz that the hateful messages appeared to target Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The owner praised Tesla for covering the repair costs and called on federal investigators to treat the attack as domestic terrorism.

“The swastikas did not fully come off of the vehicle,” the Cybertruck owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said. “So, they are going to fully replace each side of the wrap for me and pay for it.”

The recent acts of vandalism in Seattle come amid a series of attacks on Teslas across the country. Other incidents include a shooting at a Tesla dealership in Oregon, a Molotov cocktail thrown at Teslas in Colorado, and, most recently, four Teslas torched in Berlin, Germany. German police have not ruled out a political motive in the attacks, which may be linked to Elon Musk’s outspoken support of the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany, in recent elections.

#Tesla torched in #CapitolHill in #Seattle overnight – man with a gas can and lighter. Also, these photos after 4 Teslas torched in #Berlin #Germany I have all the details on @KIRONewsradio and @Mynorthwest pic.twitter.com/SQRw2tvi8W

— Luke Duecy (@LukeKIRO) March 14, 2025

The attacks in Seattle appear to be part of a larger trend of backlash against Elon Musk, Tesla, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which many believe is responsible for firing thousands of federal workers across the country.

Related on MyNorthwest: Tesla owner speaks out after Cybertruck vandalism