Transformer unit fire at a solar farm on Copshorn Road, Bodmin

What happened

On 9 June 2015, appliances from Bodmin and St Austell attended a fire at a solar farm transformer unit on Copshorn Road, Bodmin. The unit was a shipping container 6.5 metres long and was well alight on arrival. Western Power engineers and a representative of the solar company were already there. Western Power and the solar contractor worked together to isolate the power. Crews remained for over an hour and a half and allowed the structure to burn because of its safe and isolated location. The incident was then left with a contractor on site.

Contributing factors

The cause of the fire was not reported.

Lessons learned

1. A solar farm transformer housed in a container can be well alight before crews arrive, so isolation by the network operator and the solar contractor should be arranged at once.
2. Where the unit is in a safe and isolated place, a controlled burn-down may be chosen, but crews should stay until the risk to people and neighbouring equipment has fallen.
3. Handover to the contractor on site should be clear once power is isolated and the fire service is leaving.

More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Cause of the fire
• Transformer model and age
• Duration of any downtime
• Cost of the damage

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

Source

db.cornwall.gov.uk