Solar power plant damaged by fire in São José do Cedro, Brazil

Feb 2024Published 31 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire

Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordRoot cause Failed part

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What happened

A fire damaged a solar power plant in the Derrubada area of São José do Cedro, in western Santa Catarina state, Brazil, on Monday 5 February 2024. The fire brigade was called shortly after 13:00. According to the local news site Oeste Mais, the flames started in the underground cable conduit that carries wiring between the solar panels. Firefighters had to cut the circuit wires that carry the power generated by the panels before they could begin extinguishing the fire, which they did with water and foam.

The operator's own team of engineers and electricians carried out the circuit isolation, according to the report. The source does not state the extent of the damage, the output of the plant, the operator, or whether anyone was hurt.

Lessons learned

Inspect underground cable routes and conduits for heat damage, water ingress and poor joints, since a fault there can start a fire out of sight.
Provide clearly marked and tested isolation points for DC circuits so that fire crews can make the site safe quickly, and keep the isolation procedure available on site.
Agree emergency response plans with the local fire service, including how to isolate solar arrays when panels may still be live.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, worker safety and safe systems of work, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Source

oestemais.com

Published 2026-10-31. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Solar PV incidents in Brazil, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

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