Solar panels on roof involved in Cricklewood house fire
Sept 2023Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- Garth Road, Cricklewood
- What
- House fire damaged ground floor and roof
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Resistive heating in extension lead
- Response
- Six fire engines and 40 firefighters attended
What happened
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended a house fire on Garth Road in Cricklewood on 7 September 2023. A small part of the ground floor and the roof of an end-of-terrace house was damaged. A detached outbuilding was destroyed. The Brigade was called at 1317 and the fire was under control by 1507. Firefighters used a 32-metre turntable ladder to deploy PV Stop on solar panels on the roof of the property. It is not reported that the panels were the seat of the fire. No injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have been accidental.
Contributing factors
The Brigade believes the fire was accidental and caused by resistive heating in an extension lead. It is not reported that a fault in the solar installation started the fire. Crews treated the roof panels as an electrical hazard while fighting the fire.
Lessons learned
- Rooftop solar panels stay live after a building fire starts elsewhere, so crews must treat them as an electrical hazard before roof work.
- PV Stop applied from a turntable ladder can block sunlight and cut generation, reducing shock risk from water jets.
Not yet known
- Solar panel model and age
- Cost of damage and repairs
- Time to restore the house
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Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.