Fire at Tesla's Calif. facility leaves car plant undamaged

A fire broke out on the premises of Tesla’s manufacturing complex in Fremont, Calif. on Thursday, causing no injuries or damage to the factory before it was extinguished.

A pile of cardboard that was being prepared for recycling along the facility's southern fence caught fire, CEO Elon Musk said in a twitter post. Musk thanked the local fire department for its fast response. The fire department said it had called an investigator on the scene.

Tesla's sole plant in Fremont is crucial for the company as it seeks to ramp up vehicle production rates. Tesla manufactured more than 5,000 Model 3s in the last week of June, working around the clock to hit the mass-manufacturing milestone.

The push also included assembling vehicles in a tent outside the factory, raising questions on the company's ability to sustain production rates and keep up quality standards.