Home EV charger may have started house fire - solar panels made firefighting more complicated

A fire that broke out early Sunday morning  in North Attleboro, Massachussets, may have been triggered by an electric vehicle charging in the home’s garage, according to the news site  WPRI.com12. 

The Fire, which began around 12:30 a.m. January 12, destroyed two vehicles—an electric car and a hybrid—and caused extensive damage to the home.

The fire originated in the garage and quickly spread to the main house, but firefighters managed to bring it under control within 45 minutes, as reported by WPRI. 

The presence of solar panels on the roof added to the challenges faced by firefighters, complicating their efforts to extinguish the fire.  Fire crews remained at the scene for several hours to ensure that all hot spots, including blown-in insulation in the attic, were fully extinguished.

No injuries were reported, but residents of adjacent homes were temporarily evacuated as a precaution. Investigators are looking into the cause, and the local fire department is urging caution with EV charging systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.

For further details, please also refer to Firefighter Nation.