Solar panel on school roof caused fire in Ipswich

What happened

A fire at Sidegate Lane Primary School in Ipswich, Suffolk, started in a solar panel on the school roof, according to Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. The fire service was called on a Wednesday afternoon after a member of staff reported a smell of smoke, and the building was evacuated. Crews from Ipswich Princes Street, Ipswich East, Needham Market and Haverhill attended. The fire service said it had been confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that the cause was the solar panel on the roof, so no fire investigation was required.

The report also noted that solar panels were found to be the cause of an earlier fire at East Bergholt VC Primary School in August 2025. The report said the school was closed on the day of publication, which it believed was due to high temperatures in the region.

Contributing factors

The fire service attributed the fire to a solar panel on the roof. No further technical detail about the panel fault, installer or equipment was reported.

Lessons learned

1. Rooftop solar arrays on schools and other occupied buildings need periodic thermographic and electrical inspection of DC cabling, connectors and isolators.
2. Staff should be trained to recognise and report smoke or burning smells near rooftop equipment promptly, so that buildings can be evacuated quickly.
3. Where a fire is linked to a solar installation, operators should check other sites with similar equipment, particularly where an earlier fire has already occurred.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Source

aol.com