Suspected arson fire destroys panels at Viddalba solar plant, Sardinia
EIR-0442Provisional entry. Confirmed: a suspected arson fire destroyed panels at a solar plant in Viddalba, Sardinia on 8 September 2025, per pv magazine reporting citing the Sassari fire department. Not yet confirmed: the plant's ownership by Avru srl (reported but not confirmed by the company), the extent of damage, and the outcome of the police investigation. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
A photovoltaic system of around 5,000 panels caught fire at the Viddalba solar plant in Sardinia, Italy, in the early hours of 8 September 2025. Surveillance cameras reportedly captured two people exiting a car and deliberately setting fire to the solar panels. The Sassari fire department confirmed the incident and said its personnel worked for several hours from around 4 a.m. to extinguish the flames. The plant is owned and operated by Avru. Police are investigating the fire as suspected arson. Local renewable energy associations described it as part of a pattern of hostility towards renewable projects in the region.
Sources report the fire followed deliberate ignition by two individuals captured on surveillance footage, in what local associations characterised as an act of hostility towards renewable energy development in the area.
- Solar sites, particularly in regions with reported hostility towards renewable development, may benefit from enhanced perimeter security and surveillance.
- Rapid detection and fire service response can limit the extent of fire damage in arson incidents at PV installations.
- Operators and local stakeholders should coordinate with authorities on security risk assessments where community tensions around renewable projects are documented.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.