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Solar PVAustraliaEIR-1402

Fire damages Brisbane home after lightning strikes solar panels

Sept 2023Published 28 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
two-storey house in Durack, Brisbane
What
lightning struck solar panels and started fire
Injuries
No one was injured
Response
twelve firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 15 minutes
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Energex

What happened

A fire broke out at a two-storey house in Durack, Brisbane, after lightning struck the solar panels during a storm. The occupants were woken by smoke alarms around 11pm and left without injury. The fire damaged the roof and both floors. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services sent 12 firefighters, who extinguished the blaze in about 15 minutes. After the fire was out, one or more solar panels exploded and no one was injured. Energex reported about 7000 lightning strikes across southeast Queensland that night.

Contributing factors

The source reports a lightning strike on the solar panels during a storm. It does not say whether surge protection was fitted or failed.

Lessons learned

  1. A lightning strike on rooftop solar can start a house fire even when the occupants get out.
  2. Panels may fail explosively after a fire appears to be out, so crews should treat the array as live and unstable.
  3. Working smoke alarms gave the occupants time to leave.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Whether the array had lightning protection
  • How the strike started the fire
  • Model and age of the solar panels

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

Source

7news.com.au

Other entries that name Brisbane

Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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

Solar PV incidents in Australia: 23 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 and lightning strikes on energy assets.

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