Fire at a solar PV equipped house in Stoney Stratton
May 2025Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- detached timber-clad house in Stoney Stratton, near Evercreech, Somerset
- What
- fire involving solar PV
- Response
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attended and isolated supply
- Cause
- accidental
- Outcome
- ground floor, first floor and roof 50 per cent damaged by fire
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): National Grid
What happened
On 11 May 2025, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a detached timber-clad house in Stoney Stratton, Somerset. The first crew reported smoke, and all persons were accounted for. Crews isolated the electricity supply and worked in the roof space. Incident commanders requested PV Stop, a sprayable liquid carried on the service's aerial ladder appliances to block power generation from photovoltaic panels, and also requested National Grid.
They asked for the number of fire engines to be increased to eight pumps, and requested an aerial ladder platform and a water bowser. An incident command unit was mobilised. Thirty breathing apparatus wearers were used, with hose reel jets, main jets, a ground monitor and ladders. The service later confirmed a two-storey property measuring 25 m by 15 m, with the ground floor, first floor and roof 50 percent damaged by fire and 100 percent damaged by smoke.
The fire was confirmed as accidental. The log does not say whether the panels started the fire, whether PV Stop was applied, or how the panels themselves were damaged.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The service confirmed an accidental fire but did not state an ignition point or whether the photovoltaic panels, inverter or cabling were involved.
Lessons learned
- At a house fire where photovoltaic panels may still generate, isolate the grid supply early and have a means of stopping panel generation available.
- A well developed timber-clad roof fire can need many breathing apparatus wearers, thermal imaging and ladder access, so relief and welfare should be planned from the start.
- Call the network operator when on-site isolation may not stop generation from the panels.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- What started the fire
- Whether solar panels were the point of origin
- Whether anyone was injured
- Cost of the damage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
