A massive fire tore through General Motors’ Advanced Design Center in Pasadena on Wednesday, destroying several concept vehicles and prompting a large-scale hazardous materials response.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting the blaze began around 5:45 p.m. at GM’s 149,000-square-foot facility. More than 100 firefighters were called to contain the four-alarm fire, which quickly escalated due to the presence of lithium-ion batteries inside the building. Early reports suggest that one or more electric prototypes caught fire after their battery packs overheated.
Lithium-ion battery fires are extremely challenging because they can continue burning internally even after surface flames are extinguished. A single overheating cell can cause nearby cells to ignite—known as thermal runaway— releasing extreme heat and toxic gases. Lithium-ion batteries can react violently to water, so crews had to use specialized techniques to douse the flames to avoid a chemical reaction that could reignite the batteries or trigger an explosion.
Firefighters reportedly struggled for more than an hour to locate the main source of the blaze inside the design complex, which houses several of GM’s future concept and prototype projects. At the height of the fire, the building was filled with thick smoke, reducing visibility to near zero.
One firefighter issued a mayday call after becoming lost inside but was safely rescued. No injuries were reported, but hazardous materials teams will remain at the scene for several days to secure the building and prevent flare-ups.
GM has not commented yet on the extent of the damage or whether the burned vehicles were linked to any upcoming reveals, such as the rumored four-door electric Camaro SUV or potential show cars expected at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Advanced Design Center—an eight-acre, $71 million complex that opened just last year—serves as one of GM’s key creative and engineering hubs, responsible for the design of concept vehicles and advanced mobility projects. The company purchased and renovated the site in 2021 to expand its West Coast presence and strengthen ties with the Southern California design and tech community.
[Images: General Motors ]
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