By Michael Elkins
A fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning at Tesla’s (NASDAQ:) Gigafactory in Grรผnheide. The fire department was called at 3:33 a.m. local time by Tesla after a cardboard pile in the northeastern part of the factory was said to have caught fire.
According to the region’s chief firefighting officer, Klaus-Peter Schulz, there is a small recycling plant there. “There, the packaging materials are instantly recycled and shredded.” Tesla commissioned a company to do so.
The regional office in Oderland said several fire brigades from the municipality of Grunheide and the rotating staircase from Erkner were used.
It is said that 800 cubic meters of paper, cardboard and wood have been burned. It is said that foaming agent was used to fight fires. “It will be checked whether the ripping works caused the fire,” the police said. Nobody gets hurt. According to the information from MOZ.de, forensic technology is on the site.
The Grรผnheide Citizens Initiative (BI) is calling for an immediate halt to production: โOur worst fears have come true. We demand a halt to production until the causes and conditions are clarified and all safety measures are taken in the area of โโwater protection. It has been implementedโ, says Steffen Schorcht of BI.
Earlier this year, the same group called for Tesla’s production permit to be revoked after a paint leak at the factory.
The plant is mostly located in the drinking water protection area. The Strausberg-Erkner Water Association panicked after examining drone footage of the fire. โWell, what can be seen there clearly confirms that the effluent is seeping into the unpaved area,โ WSE President Andre Behler told MOZ.de. “In light of the fact that the groundwater is unprotected at this point – ie without a waterproof cover – we view this with great concern,” says Bรคhler.
