NORMAL — A fire Tuesday at the Rivian Automotive plant was in the battery assembly area, officials said.
Crews arrived at about 5 p.m. and were on the scene for about two hours, the Normal Fire Department said in a statement. Assistance from the Bloomington Fire Department was requested and all Normal firefighters were called to their stations but both calls were canceled once the scope was known.
Employees were able to return to the building after a short evacuation, the department said. Rivian workers were cleaning up water and getting back to regular operations by late Tuesday evening.
The fire did not damage the building and no injuries were reported.
The Irvine, California-based company spent months expanding the massive former Mitsubishi automobile plant for production of its electric vehicles. The sale of the plant went through in early 2017 . Pickup trucks started coming off the line at the plant in Septembe r.
Tall robots and massive presses turn sheet metal into electric pickup trucks. READ MORE HERE.
DAVID PROEBER
Inside Rivian's test drive operation in Normal
Storage area is built into the rear seats of a Rivian R1T pickup on display at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck goes over the side of a 45-degree embankment on a test track at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. The company's First Mile event allowed government officials and other invited guests to test drive the first electric truck that was being released to customers on Monday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck goes over the side of a 45 degree embankment on a test track at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. The company's First Mile event allowed government officials and other invited guests to test drive the first electric truck that was being released to customers on Monday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck goes over the side of a 45-degree embankment on a test track at the Normal automotive plant, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup is parked at the Normal plant on Sunday. Midwestern states are entering into an agreement to develop an electric vehicle infrastructure.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck is shown at the Normal plant. The company is expected to go public on Wednesday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck was driven during the First Mile event at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. The company's First Mile event allowed government officials and other invited guests to test drive the first electric truck that was being released to customers on Monday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck is ready for a test drive an event at the Normal plant.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A display on Sunday at the First Mile event at Rivian's Normal plant shows different charging options.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
The storage tunnel on the Rivian R1T pickup truck goes through the body of the truck that was on display at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
What would be an engine compartment on a gasoline fueled pickup truck is a storage compartment of the Rivian R1T pickup truck that was on display at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A storage compartment under the bed of the Rivian R1T pickup truck allows for a full-size spare as the truck was on display at the First Mile event at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
The interior of the Rivian R1T pickup truck is filled with leather surfaces and glass cockpit instrumentation as it was displayed at the First Mile event at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Those who purchase a Rivian R1T pickup truck can take delivery at a special customer delivery station that was built outside the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
The skateboard chassis of a Rivian R1T pickup is on display at the customer delivery office at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
The heart of the Rivian R1T pickup truck is the rechargeable battery pack, which is made up of hundreds of Samsung lithium ion batteries. The pack is on display at the customer delivery center at the Normal automotive plant, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup is driven Sunday on the Normal plant's test track, which the factory opened to media and other officials. The "First Mile" event allowed invited guests to test drive the first electric truck that was being released to customers on Monday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian employee on Sunday at the company's Normal plant makes popcorn on a pull-out kitchen that is an accessory for the R1T electric pickup truck.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck is on display at the company's First Mile event at the Normal automotive plant on Sept. 27.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
A Rivian R1T pickup truck is driven on a 45-degree hill at the automaker's factory in Normal on Sunday. "This is our first opportunity to let our customers and our pre-order holders test drive R1T for the first time, and to meet our team," said Laura Schwab, vice president of sales and marketing.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!