Suffolk County Council takes precautionary action following school fire

While investigations remain at an early stage, initial discussions with Suffolk Fire and Rescue indicate that the fire may be linked to solar panels installed on the roof of one of the school buildings. These solar panels were installed by the council in 2012 as part of a wider programme.

In response to this incident and following two other fires in school buildings where solar panels have been identified as a potential factor, the council has taken the decision to temporarily switch off all solar panel systems installed in identified schools between 2011 and 2016. This is part of a county-wide risk mitigation programme.

Currently there is no firm evidence that the three school fires were caused by the same issue and there is no conclusive evidence linking the fires. However, the involvement of solar panels in each case have prompted this precautionary action.

Sarah-Jane Smedmor, Executive Director of Children and Young People at Suffolk County Council, said:

“This move is about ensuring that our children and young people and staff across schools remain safe.

“We do not specifically know what caused the fires. However, we cannot take the risk that those incidents were unrelated or coincidental – we must act with precaution to eliminate any potential fire risks.”

Engineers will visit the 80 schools who are part of the council programme in the next two weeks to isolate the solar panel systems. The work is expected to be completed without disruption to the day-to-day operation of schools.

This decision has been taken in partnership with Suffolk Fire and Rescue, Concertus, DPL (electrical contractor) and Suffolk County Council while further investigation work continues.