Birds nest may have sparked rooftop solar panel fire
Apr 2026Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- single-family home on Conrad Court in Damascus
- What
- fire involving rooftop solar panels
- Response
- Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service used PVStop
- Cause
- under investigation, possibly bird's nest igniting from heat
What happened
A fire involving rooftop solar panels was reported at a single-family home on Conrad Court in Damascus. Crews from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to smoke coming from the roof and quickly extinguished the fire with no extension into the home. Firefighters used a handheld device called PVStop to apply a liquid tarp to deactivate the solar panels. The fire is believed to have started accidentally, possibly due to a bird's nest under or near the panels igniting from accumulated heat, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Contributing factors
A bird's nest under or near the panels may have ignited from accumulated heat.
Lessons learned
- Bird nests near rooftop solar panels can ignite from accumulated heat, so operators should clear debris during routine checks.
- PVStop allows safe deactivation of live rooftop panels, so firefighters should carry it for solar incidents.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the fire
- Age and model of the panels
- Cost of damage and downtime
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Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.