Solar panels have been named as the ‘likely’ cause of a recent fire that completely destroyed a mental health hospital ward.
The Springwood unit at Malton Hospital, located in North Yorkshire, England, was set ablaze on 8 July. Local fire and rescue services say the building was “fully engulfed” when crews arrived.
All 15 patients were safely evacuated from the unit, and no injuries were reported. A full report into the blaze is expected in the coming weeks.
The fire follows three similar incidents at primary schools in England over the last 12 months, which have all been blamed on solar panels. This led to around 80 schools in the county of Suffolk switching off their solar panels as a precautionary measure.
The council says the primary school fires were all believed to have had different causes rather than a common fault with the panels.
