A rooftop fire tore through the solar panels atop the Niagara Bottling plant in Seguin on Tuesday, forcing a full evacuation of workers and temporarily shutting down operations. Everyone inside got out safely, and officials say no injuries were reported.
The blaze, which sent firefighters scrambling to the plant on 8th Street, stayed confined to the roof but heavily damaged the facility’s solar array as crews chased lingering hotspots and worked to keep the flames from spreading. Traffic in the area was diverted while first responders locked down the scene, according to News 4 San Antonio.
Solar Panels Ignite Near Center of Massive Roof, Chief Says
Seguin Today reports that Fire Chief Dale Skinner’s crews got the call at about 11:30 a.m. and quickly discovered the fire was centered in the rooftop solar installation. A drone flight confirmed the panels were burning near the middle of the sprawling facility.
"It's new to me. I've never experienced a fire from solar panels," Skinner told the outlet, noting that the plant’s roughly 1 million-square-foot footprint and the fire’s location made the job anything but simple. Firefighters worked from aerial ladders and hauled about 800 feet of hose across the roof to get water on the flames.
Plant Operations, Response and Local Context
Niagara Bottling lists the Seguin site, located in the city’s industrial corridor, among its U.S. facilities, and local economic-development records show the plant has added production lines in prior expansions. Operations were paused while firefighters fought the blaze and evaluated the damage to the rooftop system.
Crews stayed on scene into the afternoon watching for rekindles and checking the extent of the damage to the solar array, according to News 4 San Antonio. Investigators are now working to determine what sparked the fire, and officials plan to release more information as it becomes available, Seguin Today reports.
For now, authorities are still urging drivers to steer clear of the 8th Street area while emergency crews wrap up their work.
