Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares edged down 0.7% on Thursday, underperforming a broadly stronger market, after reports surfaced of yet another fire at a Novelis aluminum plant that supplies the automaker.
The latest incident—a four-alarm blaze—erupted Thursday morning at Novelis’ Oswego, NY facility, which manufactures aluminum sheet used in Ford’s truck lineup, including the all-electric F-150 Lightning. The fire had not yet been brought under control, according to early reports from TechCrunch and local outlet CNY Central.
This is the third fire to strike the plant since September. The initial, more severe incident forced a shutdown and created wide-ranging supply chain challenges. Ford previously warned that the September blaze could result in roughly $2 billion in costs. A second, smaller fire took place in October.
Despite the prior disruptions, Novelis had been preparing to restart production at the New York site in December. Ford, meanwhile, was compelled to cut back production of its F-150 lineup after the September event, given the heavy use of aluminum body panels in the trucks. The company began gradually restoring output in October, prioritizing gas and hybrid models while delaying the ramp-up of the F-150 Lightning.
The potential effects of this newest fire on Ford’s manufacturing schedule have not yet been determined.