Fire engulfs solar panels on a building under construction in Kettering

What happened

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a six-storey building under construction at Dalkeith Place, Kettering, on 26 July 2024. Smoke was issuing from the roof space. Firefighters in breathing apparatus searched the building and found no casualties. They used hose reel jets to extinguish flames that had engulfed several roof-mounted solar panels. Seven appliances attended and crews had returned to their stations by 11pm. A thermal scan the following morning found no further hotspots, and the scene was then handed to the site owner.

Contributing factors

Published fire-service material states that the most likely cause was an electrical fault with one of the solar panels. No further technical detail is given.

Lessons learned

1. Solar panel fires can present significant hazards to emergency responders because of access difficulties and electrical risk.
2. A thermal scan after initial extinguishment helps confirm that no hotspots remain.
3. Early traffic management and multi-agency coordination supports a safer response in a busy urban area.

Source

northantsfire.gov.uk