Brush fire burns grass beneath panels at Wisconsin solar farm

What happened

A grass fire broke out beneath panels at the North Rock Solar Farm in the town of Fulton, Wisconsin, reportedly on a Monday afternoon in late March 2026 (exact date not confirmed by the source). Strong winds drove the blaze across about 10 acres of grass under the arrays. Lakeside Fire-Rescue was called out shortly after 12:30pm and used brush fire tank trucks, water on the ground between arrays, and hand tools to contain the fire.

Multiple local fire departments assisted to bring the blaze under control quickly. Fire officials said suppression efforts kept flames low to the ground and away from panels and wiring mounted three to seven feet above ground. No damage to solar equipment was reported at the time of the article. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

Strong winds appear to have spread the grass fire quickly across the site; dry vegetation beneath the panel arrays likely provided fuel. The precise cause of ignition has not yet been confirmed.

Lessons learned

1. Strong winds can spread grass fires quickly under solar arrays, so operators should clear dry vegetation to limit fuel.
2. Fire crews must use ground-based water and hand tools near live panels rather than direct sprays.

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

Not yet known

• Exact date of the incident
• Operator of the solar farm
• Cost of the response and any lost generation

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

Source

gazettextra.com