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Residents urge solar-safety measures; board directs staff to meet with fire chiefs and solar operators
Summary
Public commenters showed photos of solar-site fires and urged training and oversight; the Board of Supervisors asked staff to convene fire chiefs and solar operators to identify training and access needs.
Public commenters at a Buckingham County Board of Supervisors meeting presented photographs they said showed fires and rodent-related damage at large solar installations and urged the county to require safety measures and training.
Supporters of stronger oversight said county firefighters currently lack the training and equipment to safely enter or fight battery-related fires at solar facilities. "We have numerous photos of solar incidents, solar fires... They came from right here in Virginia," a public commenter told the board and asked the board to require training and to create a solar safety committee.
The board discussed the concerns in a later agenda-item conversation about solar permitting and public-safety readiness. Supervisor Gillen said he wanted the county to consult its volunteer fire chiefs and EMS to determine what specialized training or equipment would be needed. "If we could just push this as an issue with the fire department and sit with the chiefs and see what concern they have... let them come back and make a recommendation to us after we've talked to them," Gillen said.
County staff said they already meet regularly with fire chiefs and that they could invite solar operators to attend a quarterly meeting and provide demonstrations or training. A volunteer firefighter who spoke during the discussion said fire fighters have limited options for electric-vehicle and battery fires: "If electric car catches on fire in Buckingham, we're gonna watch it burn because it ain't nothing we can do for it," he said, adding that specialized equipment can be costly.
The board did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting. Instead, it directed staff to schedule meetings with fire chiefs, EMS representatives and solar operators, and asked staff to report back with recommendations about training, access, and any contract or permit conditions that could require safety measures or equipment access for first responders.
Board members also discussed potential sources of funding or state support if the General Assembly or state agencies were to mandate new equipment for volunteer departments.
The board's action was a staff direction rather than a formal vote on new code or permit conditions; staff agreed to set up the meetings and return with recommendations.
