Grass fire and control box smoke at Twin City solar farm
May 2021Published 17 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
On Wednesday 26 May 2021, 9-1-1 received numerous reports of a fire at the solar farm on Highway 80 East in Twin City, Georgia. A police officer reported smoke coming from a control box and a rapidly spreading grass fire under the solar arrays. Firefighters from Swainsboro and Twin City responded. Because the panels were generating electricity, water could not be applied to the units because of the shock hazard. Crews posted along the fence line and extinguished the fire along the fence. The Georgia Forestry Commission cut a fire lane around the perimeter of the facility. The extent of the damage was unknown at the time of reporting.
Contributing factors
The source does not state a cause. It links smoke from a control box with a grass fire under the arrays but does not establish which started the fire.
Lessons learned
- Fire crews at operating PV sites need a plan for isolating or de-energising arrays before any water is applied, because the panels remain live in daylight.
- Vegetation under and around arrays should be managed to limit fire spread, and perimeter fire lanes should be kept clear and accessible.
- Control boxes and inverter enclosures should be monitored for smoke and heat, with alarms that reach a remote operator or the local fire service promptly.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, spacing, layout and fire spread, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
