A major fire appears to have broken out at Tesla’s Berlin recycling plant, prompting a local group of environmentalists who have been fighting the company to call for Tesla to stop production.
Overnight electrek reported that Tesla’s on-site fire brigade called in help from the local fire department for an incident that took place at Gigafactory Berlin in the municipality of Grünheide.
Local news reported that a “a large pile of cardboard and wood caught on fire at the recycling facility located at the factory”. The report said that 800 cubic meters of paper, cardboard and wood caught fire.
The blaze took 50 firefighters “hours” to get under control. 12 firefighters from Tesla’s own brigade assisted with the fire. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread to elsewhere on the facility.
But one blaze set off another: environmentalists, who have been fighting Tesla every step of the way on the German plant, are now calling for a stop in production. A group called the citizens’ initiative Grünheide (BI) is calling for an “immediate stop” to production, electrek writes.
A representative from the group commented: “Our worst fears have come true. 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.”
Tesla has not issued an official comment as of yet.
