Tesla's Berlin Factory Burst Into Flames And Was Asked To Shut Down Production
According to media reports, a fire broke out at Tesla's super factory in Grünheide, Berlin, Germany, a few days ago, at 3 a.m. local time on September 26. After the accident, Tesla's 12 firefighters realized that the fire could not be controlled, and the factory notified the fire department.
After hours of fighting by 50 firefighters, the fire was not brought under control until 8 a.m. Fortunately, no one was injured and the fire did not spread to other parts of the plant. A spokeswoman for the local department said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is under investigation by police. Tesla has not yet commented on the exact cause of the fire, or whether it will affect car production.
It is understood that after the fire, local water protection and environmental groups called on Tesla to halt production at the plant, with specific complaints mainly related to the threat to local drinking water, as the plant is located in a drinking water conservation area and concerns about toxic substances leaking into groundwater were highlighted by the fire.
"Our worst fears have come true," said a representative of the local environmental group Bürgerinitiative Grünheide. "We demand that production be stopped until the causes and circumstances have been clarified and all safety-related measures in the water protection zone have been implemented."
This comes shortly after the German environmental group Green Alliance applied to the local government to revoke the permit to operate the Berlin plant after a large paint spill was revealed. The Green Alliance argued that Tesla had not completed paving some unpaved areas around the paint shop, which could have allowed hazardous materials to enter the aquifer. If the district does not act on its request, the Green Alliance will ask the Federal Ministry of the Environment to intervene.
