Solar panels involved in fire that destroyed a Sidmouth bungalow

Sept 2026Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MajorThermal / fireProvisional

Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordRoot cause

Where: Bungalow in Sidmouth, Yardlands
What: Fire started in rooftop solar panels and destroyed bungalow
Injuries: None reported
Cause: Accidental
Response: Six fire crews attended and extinguished fire around 8.45pm

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

On 21 September 2026, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was called at 2.26pm to a bungalow in Yardlands, Sidmouth, whose roof was fully involved in fire. The service later said crews confirmed the fire started within the solar panels on the roof and that the cause was deemed accidental. Six fire crews attended. Two people had left the property before crews arrived. Crews protected an adjacent bungalow because of a limited water supply.

The fire was extinguished around 8.45pm. The bungalow was reported as 100 per cent damaged. Devon and Cornwall Police assisted with road closures and crowd control. Locals had been urged to keep doors and windows closed because of smoke. It was not thought that anyone was injured.

Contributing factors

The fire service said the fire started within the solar panels and was accidental. No further cause was reported.

Lessons learned

A fire that starts in rooftop solar equipment can involve the whole roof and destroy a dwelling before crews arrive.
Limited water supply can force crews to prioritise protecting neighbouring buildings.
Smoke from a roof fire can affect the surrounding area even after occupants have left.

More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

Exact mechanism of ignition in the panels
Model and age of the solar panels
Cost of damage and rebuild

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

Source

devonlive.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 Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

The record behind this entry

The record behind EIR-1468 holds the root cause and the fire service response as fields you can filter, count and export, with its 2 sources and their verification status. The cause is not hidden: the contributing factors above give it as the sources report it. The record adds it as a field. Companies are named in the roles the sources give them. Being named is not a finding of fault.

Fire service response: ••••••••••
Sources: ••••••••••

Opens with either of these:

Your email and a six-digit code; no card; once per person. Then a plan, or carry on with the free register

Analyst, £39 a month

Ask the register any question in plain words and get a sourced answer in seconds (20 a month), plus the full record behind every entry. Cancel at any time. Limited-time price, rising to £79. Join now and keep £39.

See a complete record first, if you like.

Open the record in Lookup

Or get this one record free by email

Solar PV incidents in the United Kingdom: 97 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.

Browse the full register or submit an incident.