Solar panels catch fire on roof of a business in Franklin Township

What happened

Solar panels on the roof of a manufacturing facility in Franklin Township, New Jersey, caught fire on 10 July 2024. Multiple calls reported black smoke from the roof. Firefighters found heavy smoke and fire spreading rapidly in the solar panels. Strong winds were reported to have worsened conditions, and the incident was upgraded to a second alarm. Firefighters extinguished the fire and ventilated the building, leaving at 8:30 p.m. No one was reported inside the building, and no injuries were reported. The cause and origin remain under investigation. An initial investigation indicated that the fire did not appear suspicious.

Contributing factors

Strong winds were reported to have caused conditions to deteriorate, and firefighters also described fighting extreme heat. The cause of the fire has not been reported.

Lessons learned

1. A rooftop solar fire can spread quickly and may need an early increase in resources, including a second alarm.
2. Wind can worsen a roof fire, so operators should agree access, isolation and ventilation arrangements with the local fire service in advance.
3. Treat an early finding that a fire does not appear suspicious as provisional until the cause and origin investigation is complete.

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

Source

patch.com