Fire damages roof with solar panels at Vodacom Building in Century City
July 2023Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- Vodacom Building roof, Century City, South Africa
- What
- Fire damaged roof fitted with solar panels
- Injuries
- None reported
- Response
- City Fire and Rescue Services attended
- Cause
- Disputed between panels and electrical fault
What happened
In July 2023, City Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire on the roof of the Vodacom Building in Century City. The fire involved solar panels on the roof and damaged the building. No injuries were reported. The City said initial observations by the first crews indicated that the solar panels had caused the rooftop to catch fire. Vodacom later said a preliminary forensic report had ruled out solar technology as the cause and cited an electrical fault. The City said it had not received that detailed investigation report.
Contributing factors
The cause is disputed. Initial observations by fire crews linked the fire to the rooftop solar panels, while a preliminary forensic report cited by Vodacom pointed to an electrical fault. The roof is high and fitted with a large number of solar panels, and the fire service said only the panels and related connections were on the roof.
Lessons learned
- A high roof with many solar panels limits access, so early detection and remote isolation plans are essential.
- Initial fire crew observations on solar panels as cause must stay provisional until the full forensic report arrives.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the fire
- Cost of roof and panel damage
- Duration of any power or building outage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Vodacom
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.