Solar plant fire in Sorriso destroys 88 panels in Brazil
May 2024Published 31 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
A small solar plant in the Jardim dos Ypês neighbourhood of Sorriso, Mato Grosso, was largely destroyed by fire on the morning of Monday 20 May 2024. The installation had 88 solar panels, according to a fire service lieutenant who spoke to the Só Notícias news site, and the owner was reported to have suffered losses of approximately R$ 800,000. When firefighters arrived, the panels had already been almost entirely destroyed by the flames.
The fire service said that flames spread very quickly across solar panels. The cause of the fire was not known at the time of reporting, and the site was due to undergo an expert examination to determine it. The article also warned that smoke from such fires may be toxic and carcinogenic.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The cause was unknown at the time of publication and no contributing factors had been identified.
Lessons learned
- Fire on a solar array can spread across panels very quickly, so early detection and isolation of DC circuits are important.
- Owners of small installations should have periodic thermal and electrical inspection of connectors, cabling and inverters by qualified installers.
- A proper expert examination of the site after a fire is needed to establish the cause before any lessons can be confirmed.
More lessons on detection and monitoring, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-31. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
