CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In the late morning hours of Tuesday, the Champaign Fire Department swiftly handled an unexpected blaze stemming from a solar panel malfunction on a residential property.
Randy Smith, the department’s Public Information Officer, shared details with WCIA 3, explaining that firefighters were dispatched to the 1300 block of West Ridge Lane at approximately 10:45 a.m. following reports of smoke emanating from a rooftop. On arrival, responders quickly identified the source as a fire occurring on a solar energy panel installed on the house.