Vehicles pass the Tesla Inc. assembly plant in Fremont, California, U.S., on Monday, May 11, 2020.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Firefighters responded to a “working fire” at the Tesla plant in Fremont, California on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from the Fremont Fire Department.
No personnel or firefighters were injured, the fire department said.
The fire reportedly occurred in an area of the Tesla facility that is under construction. This is Tesla’s primary U.S. vehicle assembly plant. The company is currently building a second one in Austin, Texas.
Elon Musk‘s electric car company makes its Model 3 sedan, Model Y crossover SUV, and higher-end Model S and X electric vehicles in Fremont.
The Fremont plant recently shut down for at least two days due to parts shortages, according to Musk.
The factory has a history of costly fires, including multiple fires at its paint shop, as CNBC has previously reported.
According to Tesla’s fourth quarter filing with the SEC, Tesla has received “notices of violation” from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District relating to air permitting and compliance for the Fremont factory, too.
“The EPA is reviewing the compliance of our Fremont Factory operations with applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act, and we are working with the EPA in responding its requests for information,” Tesla said in the filing.
According to the Fremont fire department, “The deep-seated fire was contained to a vehicle manufacturing stamping machine.” City firefighters coordinated with Tesla’s internal brigade, the Tesla Fire Response Team, to contain the fire within a few hours.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As of Thursday evening, the fire at the Fremont factory was under control with fire engines and a truck remaining at the scene to monitor the situation. The cause of the fire was determined to be “molten aluminum and hydraulic fluid.”
