Fire damages rooftop solar array at Salpa-Rolli plant in Italy

What happened

A fire broke out at the Salpa-Rolli plant on the Statale 16 in Roseto degli Abruzzi, Italy, affecting the company's photovoltaic system on the roof. Firefighters from the Roseto fire brigade (vigili del fuoco) attended, extinguished the flames and then secured the area affected by the blaze. Local reporting says a short circuit is a possible initial cause, but the report stresses that this is a preliminary account only and that the fire service's investigation will establish what started the fire.

According to information available at the time, no workers were injured. The extent of the damage and the exact date of the fire have not been reported. The fire brigade's response was reported as rapid, and checks were carried out to prevent further risks within the industrial area.

Contributing factors

A possible short circuit is mentioned as an initial hypothesis only and has not been confirmed. No other contributing factors were reported.

Lessons learned

1. Inspect DC cabling, connectors and combiner boxes on rooftop arrays regularly, since electrical faults are a common initial suspicion in photovoltaic fires.
2. Give fire crews clear information on how a rooftop array can be isolated and de-energised before suppression starts.
3. Keep isolation and shutdown procedures for building-mounted solar documented, tested and available to emergency responders.

More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, fire suppression and firefighting, worker safety and safe systems of work, from every incident on the register.

Source

certastampa.it