Fire at Tesla Fremont Factory Sparks Investigation
On Monday afternoon, a fire erupted at Tesla’s assembly plant in Fremont, California, according to the Fremont Fire Department on social network X.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported among employees or firefighters. An unspecified number of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started before 5:00 p.m. at-
45500 Fremont Boulevard. The incident was classified as a two-alarm commercial structure fire in a two-story building.
The fire originated from an oven used in vehicle manufacturing. The cause is still under investigation as of Monday evening.
The fire was extinguished within a few hours, and crews left the scene around 8:00 p.m.
Tesla’s Fremont factory, the company’s first mass electric vehicle (EV) plant, produces the Model 3 sedans, Model Y crossovers, Model S sedans, and Model X SUVs.
On May 17, 2024, Tesla announced that combined production at the Fremont factory and their Reno, Nevada battery factory had surpassed 3 million vehicles.
Monday’s fire happened soon after significant layoffs at Tesla. The company recently cut 601 jobs in California, including 164 at the Fremont factory.
Among the positions eliminated were two directors of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and roles related to EHS, security, equipment maintenance, and emergency services.
The Fremont factory has a history of fires from 2014 to 2018, including several in 2018, with more incidents in 2019 and 2021. Past fires have sometimes paused-
production. Tesla did not respond to requests for further information on Monday evening.
Recently, local environmental regulators, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAMQD), accused Tesla of allowing “unabated emissions” and are-
seeking an abatement order to compel Tesla to make changes to prevent further pollution. On Monday night, BAAMQD-
informed CNBC via email that it was “aware of the fire and assessing” the situation in Alameda County.