Garage fire destroys solar panels in Southgate, with BESS fault suspected
Apr 2024Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- Berkshire Gardens garages, Southgate
- What
- Garage fire destroys roof-mounted solar panels and one garage
- Response
- London Fire Brigade, four engines and 25 firefighters, 12:00 to 14:04
- Cause
- Unknown fault within a battery energy storage system
- Outcome
- Several solar panels and one garage destroyed, neighbour partly damaged
What happened
On 18 April 2024, London Fire Brigade sent four fire engines and around 25 firefighters to a fire at a range of garages on Berkshire Gardens in Southgate. Several roof-mounted solar panels and one garage were completely destroyed, and a neighbouring garage was partly damaged. The Brigade was called at 12:00 and the fire was under control by 14:04. Two men left one of the garages before firefighters arrived. The Brigade believes the fire was accidental and caused by an unknown fault within a battery energy storage system.
Contributing factors
The Brigade reports an unknown fault within a battery energy storage system. No further technical detail has been published.
Lessons learned
- Roof-mounted solar panels and a BESS on garages can cause a significant fire, so operators must treat even small sites as a fire risk and fit early detection.
- When a BESS fault is suspected, crews need the exact location and isolation details before they arrive to control the fire safely.
- An unknown BESS fault must remain a belief until a formal investigation confirms the cause and rules out repeat risks.
Not yet known
- Exact model and age of the BESS
- Cost of the damage and downtime
- Formal investigation outcome
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Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.