Serious fire at St Martins School near Oswestry believed linked to solar panels
Sept 2025Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- St Martins School near Oswestry
- Operator
- The 3-18 Education Trust
- What
- Fire broke out in school hall and roof with solar panels
- Response
- Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service with multiple engines and aerial ladder
- Cause
- Believed to be linked to the solar panels
Get the next one by email
Free alerts on solar PV incidents in the United Kingdom, and an email when EIR-1463 is updated. No account needed; unsubscribe in one click.
Confirm your email and every solar incident on the register arrives at once as a spreadsheet (CSV), free.
Get a free sample brief Three complete verified records and the incidents-per-GW table, by email within a minute.
We will also email you about the register's paid records and plans, at most once a week and three times in all. You can stop these at any time. By signing up you agree to the privacy policy.
What happened
A serious fire broke out at St Martins School near Oswestry at about 5.24pm on Sunday 21 September 2025. Flames and smoke were seen coming from the school hall area. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Oswestry were first on scene. The response was increased to eight pumps and an aerial ladder platform, with appliances from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Firefighters in breathing apparatus used hose reel jets, thermal imaging cameras and positive pressure ventilation fans, working inside the building and on rooftops to stop the fire spreading to adjoining buildings.
The school, operated by the 3-18 Education Trust, was closed to all pupils on Monday 22 September. In a message to parents and a public notice, the school said the fire was believed to be linked to the building's solar panels. Images taken the next day showed damage to the school building, including several solar panels on the roof. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it would conduct a full investigation to establish the cause. No injuries were reported.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The school said the fire was believed to be linked to the building's solar panels. The cause had not been established in the published report.
Lessons learned
- Building operators should be able to tell fire crews where rooftop solar equipment is and how it can be isolated, even when the cause is not yet known.
- A fire in a school hall can escalate quickly. Early extra resources and roof access matter where solar arrays are fitted.
- A suspected link to solar panels should be kept separate from a confirmed cause until the fire service investigation reports.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the fire
- Model and age of the solar panels
- Duration of school closure
- Cost of damage and repairs
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
