Converter failure sparks grass fire at Herrington Community Solar Farm, Schaghticoke

What happened

On the morning of 13 July, smoke was reported from the Herrington Community Solar Farm on Bracken Road in Schaghticoke, New York. Firefighters found dry grass burning beneath a row of panels, with a failed AC/DC converter identified as the ignition source. The converter developed an internal fault that produced a sustained direct current arc, generating enough localised heat to ignite dry vegetation below the array. The protective breaker tripped automatically, disconnecting the circuit and limiting the fire to about two acres of grass.

Crews confirmed the site was de-energised before entering, then used ATVs and a water wagon to extinguish the blaze. There were no injuries, no damage to panels or other electrical equipment, and the fire did not spread beyond the site boundary.

Contributing factors

Dry grass conditions beneath the array combined with a sustained direct current arc from the failing converter, which does not self-extinguish the way an alternating current fault does because the voltage never passes through zero.

Lessons learned

1. A sustained DC arc from a failing converter can ignite dry grass below the array, so operators should keep a cleared buffer around converter housings.
2. Automatic breaker tripping limited fire spread after the DC fault, so verify this protection during routine maintenance.
3. Fire crews must confirm de-energisation before entry because solar arrays produce voltage when isolated from the grid.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Converter model and age
• Downtime and lost generation
• Cost of the incident

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

energiesmedia.com