FRANKLIN, Tenn. – A fire involving multiple electric vehicles broke out at a Rivian dealership and service center in Franklin early Saturday morning, โsending one firefighter to a local hospital for evaluation.
Franklin Fire Department โcrews โresponded toโ the sceneโค on 5th Avenue North around 1:20 a.m. and found โฃfour electric vehicles ablaze outside the building, with flames โextending into a service bay. โThe firefighter was treated and released. No other injuries were reported.
Firefighters contained the blaze but remained on scene for overโฃ four hours to monitor and cool the vehicle’s battery packs. Crews utilized a Turtle Nozzle, a specialized tool designed for extinguishing electric vehicle fires.
The causeโฃ of the fire is currently under inquiry, but authorities suspect โขone of the vehicles, possibly connected to a charger, was the initial source. Theโฃ total damage cost remains โฃundetermined.
“This incident highlights the challenges of fighting electric vehicle fires,” said Franklinโ Fire Marshalโค Andy King inโ a release. “Our crews did an excellent job containing the fire and preventing more significant damage to โฃthe building. We’re also gratefulโ to our partners including Franklin Police, Williamson โHealth โEMS, and WCRS Box 94โค for โassisting on scene.”
Electric vehicle fires pose unique challenges due to the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries,โค often requiring specialized equipment and extended cooling periods to prevent reignition.
