A fire erupted late Saturday at Rivian’s manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, damaging approximately 50 to 60 R1T pickups and R1S SUVs. Firefighters responded to the incident around 9:45 p.m. on August 14, and the fire was reportedly extinguished by midnight, according to 25News, though it had already caused significant damage.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and the fire did not spread to the main facility. Both local authorities and Rivian are currently investigating the cause of the blaze, and The Drive has reached out to the company for additional details. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
According to the Normal Fire Department—cited by Reuters—the fire was confined to a parking lot located on the northern side of the property. A user on Reddit, claiming to work at the facility, mentioned that the affected vehicles were “waiting to be shipped out/fixed before shipping.” It appears they have been removed and secured since the incident to mitigate further risks.
Rivian
It is important to note that, although Rivian has initiated several recall campaigns since starting production, none have involved battery issues, and there are currently no indications that consumer vehicles are at risk of fire. Furthermore, while it’s known that EV fires can be more challenging to extinguish, numerous studies suggest that electric vehicles are significantly less likely to catch fire compared to gasoline-powered cars.
Earlier this year, Rivian’s factory underwent a three-week shutdown to prepare for the production of the new R2 SUV, which is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2026. Originally, plans called for the R2 to be manufactured at a new facility in Georgia, but Rivian opted to continue production in Illinois instead.
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