Rooftop PV raises firefighter alarm

1 MIN READ

Embraced by more and more homeowners and loved by sustainability advocates, solar panels pose a growing threat. Firefighters, who are blocked from being able to cut holes in the roof to vent a building on fire, may also suffer electrical shocks that typically are impossible to shut down.

Footage of a recent blaze at a Dietz & Watson warehouse in Delanco, Burlington County, N.J., shows extensive damage to the building thanks to an array of 7,000 PV panel that slowed down fire fighters.

The solution, argues Matt Hickman, lies in properly training firefighters on how to combat blazes in the ever-growing presence of rooftop solar.

About the Author

Clayton DeKorne

Clay DeKorne is the Chief Editor of the JLC Group, which includes The Journal of Light Construction, Remodeling, Tools of the Trade and Professional Deck Builder. He was the founding editor of Tools of the Trade (1993) and Coastal Contractor (2004), and the founding educational director for JLC Live (1995). Before venturing into writing and education for the building industry, he was a renovation contractor and carpenter in Burlington, Vt.