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New UK home destroyed by fire, suspected to be caused by solar panels
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

New UK home destroyed by fire, suspected to be caused by solar panels

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A family in Britain narrowly escaped their new home as it was engulfed by flames, suspected to be caused by a fault in rooftop solar panels.
  • Firefighters battled the blaze for over four hours, with eight fire engines and four police vehicles responding to the incident.
  • Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause, and residents in the area have been advised to temporarily deactivate their solar panels as a precaution.

A family in Weston-Super-Mare, Britain, experienced a terrifying ordeal when their newly built home caught fire, with preliminary suspicions pointing to a malfunction in the rooftop solar panels. Tammy Atherton was relaxing at home when the fire alarm sounded. She and her 21-year-old son, Ben, initially found no smoke but were alerted by a neighbor that the roof was ablaze.

We turned the corner and saw my brother watching our house get destroyed. It was shocking.

— Molly AthertonThe daughter described the moment she arrived at her family's burning home.

They evacuated the house barefoot, along with their dog, just before midday. Firefighters arrived swiftly, but the fire raged for more than four hours, requiring a significant response of eight fire engines and four police vehicles. The family's daughter, Molly, who was at her father's house in Bristol, rushed back with her partner and father after her brother called.

"We turned the corner and saw my brother watching our house get destroyed. It was shocking," Molly told the Daily Mail. Videos from the scene showed flames consuming the roof, sending thick smoke over the street of new homes. The family believes the fire originated from the solar panels installed two years ago by Curo Group, the property developer. Molly criticized Curo Group's response, stating they were unhelpful and claimed they could not assist because her mother owned the property.

The most of their homes have solar panels and they were not helpful at all. They said because my mother is the owner, they can't do anything.

— Molly AthertonShe criticized the property developer's response to the incident.

Curo Group has since apologized and confirmed two investigations into the fire's cause. They have advised all residents in the development to temporarily switch off their solar panels as a safety measure. The house has been declared structurally unsafe, forcing the family to relocate. A GoFundMe page set up to support Tammy Atherton has exceeded its initial target, raising over £1,750, which Molly described as "incredible" and a source of comfort for her distraught mother.

We were expecting maybe 200 pounds and we have reached 1,750. It's incredible. My mother is devastated, but she feels the support of the people.

— Molly AthertonShe expressed gratitude for the public's support through a crowdfunding campaign.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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