Data from Fire Ops SA supplied by Discovery Insure shows that 48 of 197 structural-fire calls recorded since January 2026 were confirmed as related to solar, battery, or backup-power equipment, a proportion of about 24%.

A further 10 calls were suspected to be related to this equipment but were not confirmed and were not included in the 48 confirmed cases.

The figure is not a national estimate. According to Discovery, the data covers residential and commercial incidents attended by Fire Ops SA, largely in Gauteng, with additional incidents in Bloemfontein and Durban.

Discovery said the finding was based on Fire Ops SA’s response data and could not yet be compared directly with national fire data because fires linked to solar systems have historically been recorded simply as structural fires.

Discovery clarified that the classification included incidents involving batteries, inverters, and associated switchgear, distribution boards, and wiring on both the AC and DC sides of solar and backup-power installations.

Fires involving a distribution board or switchgear were included only where the equipment was directly associated with the inverter, battery, or solar installation. Fires that started elsewhere and subsequently spread to the equipment were excluded.

Discovery said that, in most cases, the probable source of the fire was determined through an assessment by fire investigators and recorded in the subsequent incident report. Fire Ops SA’s first responders also made an initial assessment based on the conditions they observed when they arrived at the scene.

The finding comes after a rapid increase in household solar installations. Citing Statistics South Africa’s 2025 General Household Survey, Discovery said about 675 000 homes had solar systems, an increase of 86% in three years.

“A solar system isn’t something that you install and forget about,” said Saqib Hossain, the head of technical marketing at Discovery Insure.

“Many of these were installed at the height of loadshedding, and as these systems age, components need to be maintained and replaced where necessary to reduce fire risk.”

Fire Ops SA said it had attended far fewer fires linked to solar and backup-power installations in previous years, largely because fewer systems were installed. It said South Africans began installing solar at a much faster rate from about 2021 in response to problems with the electricity grid.

However, comparable historical percentages are unavailable because these fires were not consistently recorded as a separate category before 2025. Discovery also confirmed that Fire Ops SA’s operational coverage and client base grew over this period.

The data therefore does not establish how the incidence of fires linked to solar, battery, and backup-power equipment has changed over time.

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