Three rooftop solar fires reported at homes in New South Wales
2020Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- residential property in Woongarrah, Central Coast NSW
- What
- rooftop solar isolator switch fire
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Under investigation
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What happened
Fire and Rescue New South Wales attended three home incidents involving solar power systems in late December 2020 and early January 2021. At a home in Woongarrah on the Central Coast, firefighters extinguished a roof fire that had not spread further. The cause was still under investigation and was believed to have started in the isolation switch. On 30 December, rooftop solar panels were reported smouldering at a home in Bar Beach, Newcastle, and the fire was put out before major structural damage.
A potential cause was not reported. On 28 December, firefighters attended a house fire in Lake Cathie, south of Port Macquarie, and the cause noted was a rooftop isolation switch. The article does not report the extent of damage at Lake Cathie. FRNSW has previously said isolator switches accounted for around half of solar power system fires in the state, without giving numbers for these incidents.
Contributing factors
A confirmed cause is not reported for all three fires. For the Woongarrah incident, the pictured isolation switch did not appear to have a protective shroud, though the article says the installation may have pre-dated that requirement. Rooftop DC isolators are mandatory in Australia and sit in harsh weather for many years. Suggestions that sea spray raised the risk are comment, not a finding for these fires.
Lessons learned
- Do not treat an isolator as the cause until the fire investigation says so. One of these fires had no reported cause.
- Where a rooftop DC isolator is required, use a suitable switch, install it correctly and fit the required shroud.
- Inspect and test rooftop solar equipment every few years, because components age in harsh conditions.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the isolator switch fire
- Model and age of the isolator switch
- Cost of repairs or downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
