Solar panel fire evacuates Hawick High School
June 2022Published 5 Oct 2026
What happened
On 10 June 2022 a solar panel on the roof of Hawick High School, on Buccleuch Road in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, caught fire. Black smoke was reported billowing into the sky and was said to be visible for miles. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent two appliances. In its statement, crews were still working to contain and extinguish the fire. Police Scotland said a solar panel had caught fire and been quickly extinguished, that the building had been evacuated, and that the incident was not being treated as suspicious. No casualties were reported.
Contributing factors
Why the solar panel caught fire was not reported.
Lessons learned
- Occupied buildings with rooftop solar need a practised evacuation plan for a roof fire that produces smoke.
- Callers should tell the fire service that solar panels are involved so crews can plan isolation and roof access.
- Early official accounts can differ on whether a fire is out. Do not treat an incident as closed on one early statement.
Source
Other entries that name High
Published 2026-10-05. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.