Energy Incident Register
Register / Solar PV / EIR-1440
← Back to the list
Solar PVUnited StatesEIR-1440

Brush fire burns three acres at Ashaway solar farm

Apr 2024Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorThermal / fireProvisional
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
Where
Ashaway solar farm in Ashaway, Rhode Island, United States
What
Grass fire burning under the solar panels affected three acres
Response
Fire crews responded to reports of smoke in the solar field
Cause
Under investigation
Outcome
No damage was reported to the solar panels themselves

What happened

A large brush fire broke out at a solar farm on Maxson Hill Road in Ashaway on the afternoon of 10 April 2024. Crews were called to reports of smoke in the solar field. Firefighters said they found a grass fire under the solar panels. Officials said the fire burned approximately three acres. No damage was visible to the solar panels. The incident was reported to be under investigation.

Contributing factors

The cause was not reported. The fire was described as a grass fire under the panels.

Lessons learned

  1. Grass and brush under ground-mounted panels can carry a fire across a site even when no damage to the panels is immediately visible.
  2. Reports of smoke in a solar field should be treated as a site incident until the extent is confirmed.
  3. After a vegetation fire, operators should inspect arrays and access routes rather than relying only on a first visual check.

More lessons on emergency response and public communication, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the fire
  • Solar farm age and panel model
  • Duration of any outage

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

Source

turnto10.com

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

See the register's stories first in Google: add it as a preferred source.

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

Solar PV incidents in the United States: 154 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: grass fires and wildfires at solar farms.

Browse the full register or submit an incident.