As of 4:30 PM ET, the fire at the Livent Bessemer City manufacturing facility, about 28 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina, has subsided and we are continuing to work with authorities to monitor and investigate the situation.
There have been no injuries to Livent personnel or emergency responders.
No toxic chemicals or compounds were on fire or released. Air monitoring tests conducted by the responding HAZMAT team did not show abnormal readings at the site or areas downwind from the facility.
The fire was principally contained to the warehouse portion of a steel and concrete building in which solid lithium metal ingots are produced. This storage area was structurally damaged. However, the fire has not spread to other parts of Livent's 800-acre Bessemer City facility, including areas where we manufacture high purity lithium metal, lithium hydroxide, butyllithium and other lithium products.
Essential Livent personnel have now returned to the plant to assess the damage and ensure ongoing safety during the clean-up and remediation process. We are grateful for the tremendous support of the emergency response teams from Bessemer City, Gaston County and North Carolina. We are working hard to mitigate any potential impacts and return to normal operations as soon as possible. Our top priority at Livent remains the safety of our employees, emergency responders and those in our community.
