Brush fire burns six acres under an array at Topaz Solar Farm near California Valley
July 2020Published 6 Oct 2026
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What happened
On Friday 3 July 2020, a fire was reported at about 10:50 a.m. at the Topaz Solar Farm near California Valley, off Highway 58. CAL FIRE SLO said the fire broke out under a solar array and burned six acres. The cause was under investigation. The report does not say whether panels or other equipment were damaged, whether the site stopped generating, or whether anyone was injured.
Contributing factors
The cause was not reported. CAL FIRE said it was under investigation. The only location given is under a solar array.
Lessons learned
- A brush fire under an array can burn several acres even when the cause is still unknown, so operators should limit fuel around arrays before the fire season.
- Until a cause is known, the affected array should be checked before it is treated as undamaged or returned to service.
- Large solar sites should agree access and isolation arrangements with the local fire service so crews can work among the equipment.
Source
Published 2026-10-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.