Power cut reportedly halts production at Tesla's gigafactory in Germany after suspected arson, police say

• A power outage has reportedly halted production at Tesla's German factory. 
• The company told German newspaper Bild it doesn't expect to resume production quickly. 
• Suspected arson on an electricity pylon caused the outage, police told Business Insider.

Tesla reportedly halted production and evacuated its gigafactory near Berlin on Tuesday following a power outage in the area.

Production had come to a standstill, Bild newspaper reported citing a Tesla representative.

An electricity-pylon fire that occurred near Berlin and was thought to be caused by arson led to the power outages, a Brandenburg police spokesperson told Business Insider.

Police were notified about the burning pylon at about 5:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday, and firefighters were dispatched.

"The police are on duty with, among other things, the helicopter squadron, drone squadron, operational unit, and service dogs," the spokesperson added. "An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire. According to the current state of knowledge, the police assume arson."

Employees who were on a night shift evacuated the factory in nearby Grünheide, Bild reported. Tesla told the newspaper it did not expect to resume production quickly following a consultation with energy provider E.DIS. 

The power-grid operator Stromnetz Berlin said the Berlin districts of Müggelheim, Rahnsdorf, and parts of Neukölln were affected by the outages, DW reported. About 2,000 households were without power.

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about when production might resume. 

The EV maker's plans to expand its only manufacturing plant in Europe hit a snag last month as a majority of Grünheide residents voted against the proposals, The Guardian reported. Tesla told the publication at the time that it would now "seek dialogue with all participants to decide on further steps."

Environmental activists protesting the plans started occupying the forest near the factory last Wednesday, DW reported. They planned to camp in the forest for a week in a bid to block Tesla's expansion of its gigafactory. The expansion would mean clearing over 100 hectares of forest, the outlet added.

Production at the Grünheide plant was also temporarily brought to a standstill in January because of militant attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. The pause took place from January 29 to February 11, Reuters reported.