An eyewitness told local media 25 News Now that they could see flames and smoke rising from the factory site from a distance. However, the plant itself was undamaged as the fire was contained within the parking lot. Media speculation suggests that around 60 vehicles were destroyed.

Fire at Rivian's Normal, Illinois Factory (Photo Source: 25News)

Rivian's Normal factory assembles all current Rivian R1T and R1S models and just recently received approval for an expansion to produce the upcoming R2 SUV.

A spokesperson for the fire protection department at the Normal factory told local media The Verge that at 9:43 PM Central Time on Saturday, the Rivian factory received a fire report. Rivian is now investigating the nature of the fire with the local fire department and insurance companies. "We are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a number of vehicles in the parking lot in our Normal plant late Saturday night," said Rivian spokesperson Peebles Squire in a statement. "The plant itself was unaffected. There were no injuries. We are not providing further details at this time."

Fires are increasingly becoming a major risk factor for electric vehicle manufacturers because traditional fire prevention methods struggle to stop lithium-ion batteries from igniting. According to InsideEV, last month, three Rivian Amazon Electric Delivery Vans (EDVs) caught fire at the e-commerce company's fulfillment center in Houston, Texas. Rivian stated that the fire was unrelated to the high-voltage battery. The Verge reported that over a dozen deaths have been caused by fires related to e-bike battery malfunctions in New York City. Last week, a Tesla Semi caught fire in California, causing severe traffic congestion. Additionally, two major fires related to electric vehicles in South Korea have recently attracted widespread attention.

It is known that traditional internal combustion engine vehicles also have the risk of catching fire, and once ignited, the speed of the fire is usually faster than that of electric vehicles. However, electric vehicle battery fires typically burn at higher temperatures and are harder to extinguish, and there is a possibility of reignition after being put out, making electric vehicle fires more dangerous and posing new challenges to fire departments, especially as electric vehicle sales continue to grow.

Local media reported that due to the inability to extinguish electric vehicle fires with certain traditional methods, emergency personnel in the United States are being trained to handle electric vehicle battery fires. Despite the emergence of voices against electric vehicles, the U.S. government is encouraging more consumers to purchase electric vehicles as a way to combat climate change and encouraging local departments to share best practices for extinguishing electric vehicle battery fires.