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Solar PVUnited StatesEIR-0336

Grass fire burns near panels at FPL Sparkleberry Solar Farm

Mar 2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

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out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
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Where
Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center, Pilgrim Trail, Molino, Florida
Operator
Florida Power & Light
What
Brush and grass fire in four to five inch grass around solar panels
Cause
Under investigation
Outcome
No damage to equipment, facility operated normally

What happened

A brush and grass fire broke out midday at the Florida Power & Light Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center on Pilgrim Trail in Molino, Florida. The fire occurred in four to five inch tall grass growing around rows of solar panels. Florida Forest Service personnel allowed the fire to burn towards a nearby road before using a small amount of water to extinguish it. Multiple units of Escambia County Fire Rescue also responded to the scene.

An FPL spokesperson confirmed there was no damage to any solar equipment and that the facility continued to operate normally throughout the incident. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

Overgrown grass measuring four to five inches around the solar panel rows provided fuel for the fire. The specific ignition source had not been determined at the time of reporting.

Lessons learned

  1. Four to five inch grass around solar panel rows can fuel fires, so operators should cut vegetation to keep fuel loads low.
  2. A vegetation fire near solar arrays needs coordinated forestry and fire rescue response to stop it reaching equipment.

More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Ignition source
  • Exact cause of the fire

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

Source

northescambia.com

Site page: Sparkleberry (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Solar farm fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: grass fires and wildfires at solar farms.

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