Fire damages tower at Ivanpah solar plant
2016Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- Ivanpah solar plant in the Mojave desert
- What
- Fire at one tower scorched and melted metal pipes
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Not reported
What happened
A fire occurred at one of the three towers at the Ivanpah solar plant in the Mojave desert. Metal pipes were scorched and melted. The fire department suggested that misaligned mirrors may have concentrated sunlight on the wrong part of the tower. NRG Energy said it was still too early to tell the cause, and that damage was being assessed and a repair plan developed. Injuries and the extent of the damage were not reported.
Contributing factors
Misaligned mirrors concentrating sunlight incorrectly were suggested as a possible cause. NRG Energy said the cause was still being assessed.
Lessons learned
- Operators of concentrating solar plants should check mirror alignment often to stop sunlight focusing on the wrong part of a tower.
- Damage to tower pipes from focused sunlight needs early detection because repair plans must cover both mirrors and plumbing.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Extent of the damage
- Downtime and repair cost
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Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.