Grass fire shuts down Beryl Solar Farm near Gulgong

What happened

A grass fire shut down Beryl Solar Farm, about 5 km west of Gulgong in New South Wales. Crews from the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW attended a fire burning under the solar modules. Firefighters said access was difficult because the fire was under the panels. A large column of smoke was visible from Gulgong. The solar farm supplies power to the Sydney Metro Northwest rail link. The site was secured, plant personnel were reported safe and accounted for, and there were no injuries. The cause of the fire was not reported.

Contributing factors

The cause was not reported. The fire burned under the modules, which restricted access for firefighters.

Lessons learned

1. Plan emergency access where a fire can burn under solar modules and slow firefighting.
2. Arrange pre-incident familiarisation with local fire services at large solar sites.
3. Confirm personnel accountability and a controlled shutdown when vegetation fire affects an operating solar farm.

Source

esdnews.com.au