Solar Farm Fire Burns 1,127 Acres
On June 5, 2019 a California Solar Farm that burned 1,127 acres, caught on fire because of a BIRD.
According to a California Fire Battalion Chief, the birds wings touch multiple electrical conductors at the same time and they turn into a “light bulb”.
He also said, “It happens all the time.”
While it may not be unusual for birds to sit on a wire or even touch two wires at the same time, in normal electrical wiring, the "light bulb" effect of the bird, would not cause this type of damage, because even if life wires or a flaming bird were to hit the ground, any ground fires would have been relatively easy to put out. However due to all of the solar panels having the capacity to hold electricity, even when turned off, the fire department faces a difficult situation in trying how to fight the fire.
As we all know, water and electricity do not mix well. Add to that fact, in some cases, the solar panels are so close together, a fire fighter can not get equipment down the long lines of panels, in order to get to the affected areas.
This solar farm was partially funded by a $1.24-billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Energy Department. The blaze damaged power poles and wires at the 250-megawatt plant and knocked out 84% of its generating capacity, causing an estimated $8 million to $9 million in losses, the company said.
Since the fire occurred at a solar farm that uses photovoltaic panels, just like the ones on rooftops, it left some people wondering how safe it is to have homes located close to solar farms, if a fire can consume 1,127 acres of land before it can be put out.
Another consideration to take into account are the reports from many fire departments, warning fire fighters NOT to enter any fire areas involving solar panels, due to the toxic smoke plumes that occur when the metal solar panel frames get damaged and allow the toxic chemicals sealed inside the solar panels to escape into the air, thus endangering everyone within the area.
We also found out the “National Fire Data Center” in the U.S.A., keeps statistics on causes of fires however, fires resulting from Solar Panels are NOT DOCUMENTED.
Instead, those fires are classified as “other.”
Are fires that are started by faulty solar panels, being hidden from citizens of the U.S.A. by the press or the government?
We know there is an organization in the UK that is documenting the solar panel components that have been proven to cause fires, but have not found any such documentation within the U.S.A. yet. That is a question we are currently investigating.
For more information on this fire, you can check out: