Fire damages solar panels at a private plant near Cuddalore
June 2026Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- private solar power plant near T Pudaiyur village in Veppur, Cuddalore district, India
- What
- solar panels caught fire
- Response
- Fire crews from Veppur, Virudhachalam and Tittakudi extinguished fire after more than five hours
- Cause
- Not reported
- Outcome
- Several solar panels damaged, worth several hundred thousand rupees
What happened
On the evening of 8 June 2026, solar panels caught fire at a private solar power plant near T Pudaiyur village in Veppur, Cuddalore district, India. Thick smoke spread as the panels burned. Fire and Rescue Services crews from Veppur attended first and tried to douse the fire with water, but could not bring it under control. Crews from Virudhachalam and Tittakudi were then sent to help. The fire was extinguished after more than five hours. Several solar panels, reported to be worth several hundred thousand rupees, were damaged. The cause has not been reported. Veppur police are investigating.
Contributing factors
No cause has been reported.
Lessons learned
- Solar panel fires may resist an initial water attack, so plans must allow extra crews to be called early.
- Fires in solar arrays can last several hours, so response plans must support extended operations.
- Where the cause of a solar panel fire is unknown, the site must stay offline until investigated.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Model and age of the solar panels
- Duration of downtime
- Exact cost of the damage
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Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.