ERB DISMISSES SOLAR PANELS AS SOURCE OF FIRE FOR LIBALA SOUTH HOUSE
THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has revealed that the fire at a residential property in Libala South was not caused by the wrongful installation of power.
ERB Public Relations Manager, Namukolo Kasumpa, said contrary to the claims, investigations indicate the suspected cause of the fire was an external ignition, occurring while the homeowner and his family were away at work as part of their normal routine.
Mrs Kasumpa further noted that initial investigations revealed the property did not have solar panels installed, as had been claimed in a circulated social media clip.
“ERB initiated investigations into a fire incident reported in a social media clip circulated on Sunday, 15th September 2024. The report suggested that a residential property in the Libala South area of Lusaka caught fire due to the wrongful installation of solar panels. In response, ERB assembled a technical team to conduct preliminary investigations into the incident,” she said.
Mrs Kasumpa added that at the time of the fire, the area where the property is located was experiencing load shedding, indicating that the property was not connected to the national grid.
She said the initial findings suggest that electrical factors are unlikely to have caused the fire.
“The ERB urges the public to await the full investigation report from the relevant authorities mandated to investigate fire incidents. In light of this unfortunate event, the ERB wishes to caution the public about the dangers of unsupervised backyard fires, especially during load-shedding periods when electrical systems are inactive, but flammable materials remain vulnerable to external fire sources. Additionally, the public is advised to engage only qualified and licensed contractors when installing solar systems,” she said.
Mwebantu