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Solar PVUnited StatesEIR-2379

Grass fire at Florida Power and Light solar farm in Volusia County

2019Published 14 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorThermal / fireProvisionalNext update 14 Oct
Estimated damageModelled by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

Companies named in this entry: Florida Power and Light

What happened

Volusia County Fire responded to a grass fire reported at a Florida Power and Light solar farm on S.R. 44 in Volusia County, Florida, shortly before 11 a.m. The report describes the day as a Monday morning, but the article is dated 2 January 2019, which was a Wednesday, so the exact date is not confirmed. The fire was reported to have appeared to be ignited by something from electrical equipment around the solar panels.

The fire was contained without damage to the panels, and no injuries were reported. The report was published by FOX 35 Orlando on 2 January 2019. The source does not give the size of the burned area, the capacity of the site or a cause confirmed by investigators.

Contributing factors

The source reports that the fire appeared to be ignited by something from electrical equipment around the solar panels. No further detail is given and the cause was not confirmed.

Lessons learned

  1. Vegetation around solar arrays and electrical equipment should be kept under control, because grass fires can start from equipment faults at ground level.
  2. Electrical equipment mounted around arrays should be inspected regularly for faults and heat damage, and any findings recorded and acted on.
  3. Operators should agree a rapid-response plan with local fire services, including site access routes and up-to-date information on the layout of equipment.

More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Source

fox35orlando.com

Published 2026-10-14. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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