A fire, suspected to have originated from solar panels, led to the evacuation of patients and staff at Malton and Norton district hospital in North Yorkshire on July 8. The blaze rapidly consumed the Springwood ward, a unit providing mental health services for the elderly.
Fire crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night to contain the fire, which threatened adjacent hospital wards. Thick, acrid smoke billowed into the sky, visible for miles around, prompting local residents to be advised to keep doors and windows closed.
At its height, the firefighting operation involved three jet hoses and an aerial ladder. By the following morning, only one fire engine remained at the scene as a precaution.
No injuries were reported among patients or staff during the evacuation. The hospital has since reopened, and services are operating as normal. A joint investigation with the fire service is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
This incident follows two other recent events where solar panels were suspected to be involved in fires at residential properties. In one case on July 4, a family narrowly escaped their home in Weston-Super-Mare when a fire broke out in the roof. Another newbuild property in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, also suffered a roof fire on a Bank Holiday Monday in May, which was reportedly captured on doorbell footage.
