Several electric delivery vans went up in flames outside the Rivian service center in Southwest Portland just before dawn on Monday, sending a thick plume of battery smoke over the neighborhood. Fire crews spent the morning keeping the blaze from spreading to nearby vehicles, buildings and trees. Authorities said there were no reported injuries and that the cause remains under investigation.
Portland Fire & Rescue said the fire was reported shortly before 2:30 a.m. at the Rivian Electric Vehicle Service Center along Southwest 1st Avenue, just south of the I-405 overpass, according to KATU. Crews focused on stopping flames from jumping to other vans and nearby structures while working to cool hot battery cells. Officials said the involved vehicles were cooled and declared extinguished only after firefighters let the battery cells burn out.
Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves warned that "the smoke from the batteries is very toxic," and told KATU that battery cells are difficult to access and can reignite after being doused unless fully submerged, a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. Graves said those hazards demand extra safety measures and large volumes of water, a challenge crews met overnight. Investigators remained on scene working to determine what ignited the vehicles.
Why EV Battery Fires Refuse To Quit
Lithium-ion packs can enter thermal runaway, producing intense heat and toxic gases that make fires tougher to knock down and that may restart hours later. Rivian's emergency response guide for its delivery vans lays out steps for first responders, including cutting designated "cut loops," wearing insulated PPE and storing burned vehicles away from others, because battery fires differ from gasoline blazes, according to Rivian.
How Portland Firefighters Tackle EV Blazes
Portland Fire & Rescue has trained crews on specialized tools and tactics to fight battery fires, including a Cold Cut Cobra water-lance that can penetrate a pack and flood it to reduce smoke and reignition risk. In a 2025 training piece, the bureau said those devices and tactics help cut down fumes and the amount of toxic smoke that reaches firefighters at scenes like Monday's, per Portland Fire & Rescue. The bureau also maintains public guidance about lithium-ion battery safety and proper disposal to limit such incidents.
Portland police and fire investigators remain on scene and have not released a probable cause. We will update this post as officials and the service center provide more information.
