Loft fire believed caused by a solar panel at Paintworks flats in Bristol
Apr 2021Published 6 Oct 2026
What happened
On 15 April 2021, firefighters were called at about 6 pm to the Paintworks apartments off Bath Road in Arnos Vale, Bristol. Crews from Temple, Hick's Gate, Bedminster and Southmead fire stations attended. The incident commander said they had been called to a small fire in a loft space which they believed had been caused by a solar panel. The fire was put out. Crews then tried to salvage what they could from the loft.
The building had sprinklers, and firefighters entered wearing breathing apparatus. The Paintworks site is described as having 331 homes and 26 live/work units. Injuries, the type and position of the solar equipment, and the extent of damage were not reported.
Contributing factors
The fire service believed the fire was caused by a solar panel. No fault, component or installation detail was reported, and the cause had not been confirmed.
Lessons learned
- A same-day belief that a solar panel started a loft fire should stay provisional until a fire investigation reports the cause.
- Owners of blocks with rooftop solar should know where cabling enters roof voids and how to isolate the system for the fire service.
- Periodic checks of solar connections near lofts can reduce the chance of a fault in a roof void.
Source
Other entries that name Bristol
Published 2026-10-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.