Energy Incident Register
Register / Solar PV / EIR-1244
← Back to the list
Solar PVUnited KingdomEIR-1244

Fire reported to have started in solar panels at Westleigh primary school

2018Published 25 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Westleigh Methodist Primary School in Leigh, Greater Manchester
What
Fire broke out in solar panels on roof
Response
Fire contained to the main hall
Cause
Electric fault in the panels
Outcome
School closed for the foreseeable future

What happened

On a Sunday morning in March 2018, a fire broke out at Westleigh Methodist Primary School in Leigh, Greater Manchester. Firefighters said the blaze was believed to have started in solar panels on the roof. An eyewitness told the emergency services that about four panels were on fire. The fire was contained to the main hall, with no further damage to other school buildings. The school, which teaches about 200 pupils aged three to 11, was closed for the foreseeable future.

Contributing factors

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the likely cause was an electric fault in the panels. Intense heat burnt the panel wiring away, so investigators could not determine whether or why an electrical fault occurred.

Lessons learned

  1. Electric faults in rooftop solar panels can destroy wiring evidence when heat burns it away, so record early observations of the fire origin.
  2. Isolation and access plans for school rooftop arrays help crews limit a fire to one building section.
  3. Schools with rooftop solar need plans for continued teaching if a hall or roof fire closes the site.

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

Not yet known

  • Solar panel model and age
  • Exact downtime and cost of repairs
  • Whether any injuries occurred

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

Source

BBC News (bbc.co.uk)

Published 2026-09-25. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

See the register's stories first in Google: add it as a preferred source.

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

Solar PV incidents in the United Kingdom: 97 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

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

Browse the full register or submit an incident.