Solar panel inverter fault destroys two homes in Lewes
EIR-1303Provisional entry. Published from first reports. This entry is rechecked automatically and updated when more sources appear. Next update: 26 September 2026.
On 8 May 2017 eight fire engines attended a fire at a house on Prince Edward's Road, Lewes. The blaze spread through the roof to the adjoining house and left both homes destroyed. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service investigators said the cause was an electrical fault in the inverter of a solar panel on the roof of one house. Firefighters removed tiles to put out the fire in the roof space. No capacity, installer or further technical details were reported.
Investigators attributed the fire to an electrical fault in the solar panel inverter. No further contributing factors were reported.
- Inverters on residential solar arrays should be installed and maintained so that an electrical fault is less likely to ignite the roof.
- Fire services attending roof-mounted solar should know where inverters and DC circuits are, and how to reach a fire in the roof void.
- A fire that starts at roof-mounted solar equipment can spread through the roof into an adjoining home, so early detection and separation of roof voids matter.
Published 2026-09-25. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.