Fire on house roof caused by solar panel short circuit in Gouda
Oct 2026Published 3 Oct 2026
What happened
On the afternoon of 2 October 2026 a fire occurred on the roof of a house in Snoystraat, Gouda. Residents noticed smoke at the solar panels and isolated the supply. On arrival the fire service initially saw nothing. Using an aerial platform, a panel was removed and a short circuit was found at the rear of the panel, which had led to the fire. The fire service deployed two pump appliances, a small-scale water supply, an officer and an aerial ladder to control the incident.
Contributing factors
A short circuit at the rear of a solar panel, as reported after the panel was removed. The source does not identify the component that shorted.
Lessons learned
- Isolate a rooftop solar system promptly when smoke is seen at the panels.
- Do not treat an unseen fire as out: smoke reported at panels may only become clear once a panel is lifted from an aerial platform.
- Plan aerial access and isolation before crews handle the rear of a panel.
Source
Published 2026-10-03. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.