Small fire at Rivian plant in Normal

Posted on October 27, 2021
Normal Fire Department said there was minimal smoke and employees were allowed to return to the building after a short time. (Scott Miller/WJBC)

By Neil Doyle

NORMAL – A small fire broke out Tuesday night at the Rivian plant in northwest Normal.

The Normal Fire Department said there was minimal damage and no injuries were reported. The plant was evacuated for a short time while firefighters put out the fire.

Fire crews were called around 5 p.m. after a small fire broke out in an automated battery sub-assembly area in the plant.

Firefighters used a hose line to extinguish the fire quickly and cool the cells to prevent thermal runaway, according to a news release.

The fire department said the fire did not affect Rivian’s assembly process.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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