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Solar PVUnited KingdomEIR-0774

Solar panel fire destroys roof of Ealing Council house in Greenford

Aug 2023Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MajorThermal / fire
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Where
Council house on Ferrymead Avenue in Greenford, west London
Owner
Ealing Council
What
Fire broke out in loft involving solar panel
Injuries
None reported
Response
London Fire Brigade attended and isolated panels on ten properties

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Ealing Council

What happened

On 9 August 2023 a fire broke out in the loft of a council house on Ferrymead Avenue in Greenford, west London, owned by Ealing Council. Smoke was reported to have accumulated in the loft during the day before the blaze took hold. A teenage occupant was alone in the house when the smoke alarm sounded and left the property with the help of neighbours. London Fire Brigade attended, confirmed the blaze involved a solar panel and said it was believed to be accidental.

Firefighters used a liquid polymer coating called PVStop to de-energise and isolate solar panels on ten neighbouring properties. The roof of the affected house collapsed, leaving it open to the elements, and the building was declared too unstable for the family to return for their possessions. The family, who had lived there for more than 20 years, were placed in temporary bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation. No injuries were reported and a family pet was recovered unharmed.

Contributing factors

The solar panels were installed in 2013, removed for roof repairs and reinstalled a couple of years before the fire, according to the occupant. London Fire Brigade described the cause as accidental, and Ealing Council said it had not yet received the formal fire report at the time of reporting. No further technical cause was reported.

Lessons learned

  1. Solar panels removed and reinstalled after roof repairs must be checked by a qualified installer before reconnection.
  2. Smoke in a loft with rooftop solar should prompt checks on the installation rather than dismissal as external.
  3. A fire in rooftop solar can require isolation of panels on nearby roofs using specialist coatings.

More lessons on investigation and fleet-wide checks, emergency response and public communication, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Technical cause of the fire
  • Solar panel model and age at time of fire
  • Cost of damage and repairs
  • Length of time house remained uninhabitable

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

Source

The Independent (independent.co.uk)

Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Solar PV incidents in the United Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

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Solar farm fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: rooftop solar fires.

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