Small fire on solar panel at Yuma middle school
Sept 2023Published 11 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
On a Friday afternoon in September 2023, the Yuma Fire Department and Yuma Police Department were called to Centennial Middle School in Yuma, Arizona, after an issue with a solar panel. A small fire involving solar equipment was reported in the front parking lot of the school. Firefighters contained the fire and isolated the issue. Students were evacuated and returned to their classrooms once the fire was contained. No injuries were reported.
Police conducted traffic control, and the school asked the public to stay away from the parking lot area. Classes resumed their normal schedule the same day. The school's maintenance crew was reported to be repairing the solar panels.
Contributing factors
The source does not state the cause of the fire. It does not say whether the array was a carport or ground-mounted installation, or what equipment failed.
Lessons learned
- Solar arrays located in car parks or near pedestrian areas need clear exclusion zones and a plan for isolating the array quickly during a fire.
- Schools and other operators should ensure fire services can isolate DC supply from solar equipment on site.
- Evacuation and traffic management should be planned in advance, as a small fire can disrupt school pick-up and drop-off for the rest of the day.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, fire suppression and firefighting, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-11. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
