Locals Demand Tesla Halt Production After 'Worst Fears Come True' at Gigafactory
Opponents of a Tesla factory outside Berlin are voicing complaints after a fire broke out at the plant early Monday.
About 800 cubic meters of cardboard, paper, and wood that were in an outdoor recycling area caught fire, a local fire department representative said, according to Reuters.
No one was injured in the fire. The cause has not been determined.
The fire, which has since been extinguished, broke out at about 3:30 a.m.
Tesla’s firefighters took over after the local fire companies had battled the blaze for about five hours.
A fire broke out at Tesla Gigafactory Berlin, locals call for production stop https://t.co/kvblcuitmg by @fredericlambert
— Electrek.co (@ElectrekCo) September 26, 2022
Fifty firefighters were required to put out the fire, according to the website Electrek.com, a website that focuses on transportation and electric vehicle coverage.
The plant is called Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenberg. It’s located in the municipality of Grunheide, southeast of the German capital.
The fire renewed objections to the plant from a citizens group.
“Our worst fears have come true,” said Steffen Schorcht, a representative of the group, according to Electrek.
“We demand a production stop until the causes and circumstances have been clarified and all safety-related measures in the water protection area have been implemented,” he said.
The plant officially opened in March, according to the BBC.
In May, environmentalists with the Green League called for Tesla to have its permit to operate the plant shut down after a paint leak, according to electrek,com.
Tesla Giga Berlin cardboard fire prompts critics to demand production halthttps://t.co/1M6gDQAkDf by @ResidentSponge
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 26, 2022
The Western Journal has reached out to Tesla for comment on the Monday fire.
According to the BBC, Tesla plans to produce 500,000 vehicles a year at the factory, which is Tesla’s only European manufacturing operation.
It was uncertain if the fire would impact production plans.
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