Malfunctioning solar panels cause roof fire in Boston

Fire crews were called to a roof fire at 518 Tremont Street in Boston just before 1 pm after reports of a fire. Several solar panels caught fire. Parts of the panels fell, and parts of the rubber roof also ignited. Crews put the fire out a short time after they arrived. One person was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. Damage was estimated at about 50,000 US dollars. Why the panels ignited was not known, and an investigation was under way.

Published reporting attributed the fire to malfunctioning solar panels. The reason the panels ignited was not reported and remained under investigation.

1. A fire in rooftop solar equipment can spread to the roof covering, so isolation and firefighter access should be planned before an incident.
2. Falling panel debris is a hazard during a roof fire and should be allowed for in the response.
3. Where the reason panels ignited is not known, the failure mode should be established before similar arrays are treated as unaffected.

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