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Solar PVUnited KingdomEIR-1519

Solar panels involved in outbuilding roof fire in Bourne End

Sept 2025Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
Where
single-storey outbuilding on Blind Lane in Bourne End
What
roof involving solar panels well alight
Response
crews used breathing apparatus, hose reel jet, ladders and thermal imaging camera, then reinspected
Cause
Not reported

What happened

On 16 September 2025, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a single-storey outbuilding in Blind Lane, Bourne End. A roof involving solar panels was well alight on arrival. One crew from Beaconsfield, two from High Wycombe and an officer attended. Firefighters used two sets of breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet, ladders, small gear and a thermal imaging camera, and a crew later reinspected the property for hotspots. The service did not report the cause, the extent of damage, or whether anyone was injured.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The fire service said the roof involved solar panels, but it did not say whether the panels started the fire.

Lessons learned

  1. A roof fire involving solar panels may still be burning when crews arrive, so access at height and a check for remaining heat should be planned.
  2. Thermal imaging and a later reinspection can help find hotspots after the main fire is tackled.
  3. Involvement of panels is not, on its own, evidence that they caused the fire.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, investigation and fleet-wide checks, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Extent of damage to the solar panels
  • Whether the panels started the fire

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

Source

bucksfire.gov.uk

Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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