Rooftop solar panel fire on residential block in Lewisham, London
Aug 2024Published 22 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Rooftop of seven-storey building at Loampit Vale, Lewisham, London
- What
- Fire broke out involving a solar panel
- Injuries
- None reported
- Response
- London Fire Brigade used PVStop and 32-metre ladder
- Cause
- Under investigation
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What happened
On 2 August 2024 a fire broke out involving a solar panel on the roof of a seven-storey residential building at Loampit Vale, Lewisham, London. London Fire Brigade received the first of 14 calls at 12:19 and brought the fire under control by 13:11. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended, drawn from Lewisham, Greenwich, Lee Green and surrounding stations. Crews deployed a 32-metre ladder to reach the roof and applied PVStop, a black liquid polymer coating that blocks sunlight from reaching solar panels, stopping electricity generation so firefighters could safely tackle the blaze. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of reporting.
Contributing factors
Not reported; the cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of the report.
Lessons learned
- Rooftop solar on multi-storey buildings needs aerial ladders for access, so operators should plan for this response time.
- Live solar panels need de-energising agents such as PVStop before crews can approach safely.
- Publish root cause findings so owners of similar residential solar arrays can improve fire safety.
More lessons on design, standards and commissioning, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Root cause of the fire
- Solar panel model and age
- Cost of damage and downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-22. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
