Solar panels catch fire at Pretoria East Hospital
2024Published 28 Sept 2026
Estimated damage ModelledFigure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidenceout of service for •• daysSee the figure: 14 days freeFull estimateHow? Know the real figure?
- Where
- Pretoria East Hospital
- What
- Solar panels above theatres caught alight
- Injuries
- None reported
- Response
- Emergency teams extinguished the blaze around midnight
- Cause
- Not reported
What happened
A fire broke out at Pretoria East Hospital on a Thursday evening when solar panels located above some of the hospital's theatres caught alight. Emergency teams extinguished the blaze around midnight. Parts of the hospital were affected. All patients were evacuated to an area outside the hospital entrance and later moved back into some wards once the site was declared safe. No injuries or deaths were reported. The cause was not reported.
Lessons learned
- Solar panels mounted above operating theatres need fast detection and isolation, as the fire reached the array on a Thursday evening and burned until midnight.
- Evacuation plans for rooftop solar on hospitals must cover theatres, since all patients left the building and returned only after the site was declared safe.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Solar panel model and age
- Length of theatre downtime
- Cost of repairs
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Source
Other entries that name Pretoria
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.