Solar panels ignite fire on roof of Olney home

What happened

A fire was reported around 11:30 a.m. at a two-storey home at 4400 Thornhurst Dr, near Winding Oak Terrace, in Olney, Maryland. Montgomery County fire and rescue crews found a fire on the roof, where the solar panels had ignited. The fire was extinguished and did not spread to other parts of the home. Crews then deactivated the solar panels with a handheld unit that applies a deactivating liquid. The cause of the ignition was not reported.

Lessons learned

1. Rooftop solar fires can stay limited to the roof if crews reach the address quickly and stop spread into the rest of the building.
2. After extinguishment, crews still need a way to make the array electrically safe, as in this case with a handheld deactivating liquid.
3. A precise address and report time support a prompt response when the cause is not yet known.

Source

patch.com