23-05-2025
Faulty solar panel blamed for maternity hospital fire
The fire service has blamed faulty solar panels for a blaze at a maternity hospital in Bristol.
Pregnant women and babies were evacuated from St Michael's Hospital on Southwell Street in the city centre on Thursday afternoon.
Footage shared on social media showed women cradling babies being escorted past fire engines and under police tape to buildings opposite as smoke billowed above the city.
Avon Fire & Rescue Services' fire investigation team said the cause of the fire, which has now been extinguished, had been faulty solar panels.
The roof of the hospital has one of Bristol city centre's largest solar panel installations, unveiled in 2014 and delivered in partnership with the council.
Ian Fergusson , a BBC forecaster, shared a still image yesterday from a skycam showing the scorched remains of the hospital's rooftop solar panels.
He said there was 'virtually nothing left of the rooftop solar panel array after this fire', adding: 'A very worrying and scary event for folks at the maternity hospital.'
Matt Burden, from Weston-super-Mare, was inside the maternity unit when the fire started.
He told the BBC that his wife was in labour with their third baby and he was 'really eager to get back' to her.
He said: 'I went out to get some food, came back and obviously the alarm went off. They said all partners had to leave. Everyone was going down the fire exit quite fast.'
A spokesman for Avon Fire & Rescue Services said on Friday: 'Following a fire in a hospital on Southwell Street, Bristol, yesterday evening (22 May 2025), Avon Fire & Rescue Services' Fire Investigation Team have established the cause of the fire to be accidental due to a fault in the solar panels, on the roof of the building.
'Firefighters safely extinguished the fire on the roof and no other part of the hospital was affected by the fire.'
Prof Stuart Walker, the hospital managing director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Following a fire on the roof of St Michael's Hospital yesterday afternoon, we can confirm the hospital is open and services are running.
'A very small number of planned appointments have been rescheduled. Those affected by this have been contacted directly. If you have an appointment, please attend it unless you hear from us. The hospital remains open to those who need access to our services, including the delivery suite.
'Thank you to our amazing colleagues, emergency services and local partners for their efforts yesterday to help keep our patients and their loved ones safe.'
