Lead-acid solar battery short ignites crawlspace fire; crews prevent structural loss

A lead-acid battery short-circuited in the crawlspace beneath a Devries Road home about 6:39 a.m. Sunday in mid-February 2026, igniting several floor joists and melting the two adjacent battery packs before fire crews extinguished the blaze and prevented structural loss. The homeowner heard cracking and popping under a bedroom floor and used a portable fire extinguisher to slow the fire’s progression prior to firefighters’ arrival.

The homeowner’s quick action made a measurable difference, Deputy Fire Chief Ray Merrill of North Whidbey Fire and Rescue said. “He was very fortunate that he heard the fire because it could have got going good underneath the house,” Merrill said, describing how early detection limited damage to the crawlspace and joists.

The home’s solar array was connected to three lead-acid battery packs stored in the crawlspace, Merrill said. One battery short-circuited and caught fire, melting the other two packs and igniting several floor joists beneath the home, according to Merrill’s account. Merrill emphasized that the fire involved the battery packs, not the solar array panels themselves.

“Fire crews from North Whidbey Fire and Rescue and Naval Air Station Fire responded to a battery fire beneath a home on Devries Road at about 6:39 a.m. Sunday,” Merrill said. Two engine companies from North Whidbey responded with eight personnel, and a Naval Air Station ladder truck staffed by four crew members arrived as a precaution. The ladder truck was not needed, Merrill said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze under the house before it could spread further.

Firefighters returned to the property the following day after the homeowner reported seeing sparks from one of the battery packs. Merrill said the battery was not reigniting but was simply arcing as it discharged remaining energy. The battery was moved into an open field to safely finish discharging, Merrill reported.

No injuries or dollar estimates for repairs were reported by North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, and officials have not released a detailed incident report. Deputy Chief Ray Merrill remains the primary on-scene official for technical details about cause, response, and follow-up handling of the batteries. Residents with battery-backed solar systems should note the specifics of this incident: lead-acid battery packs stored in a home crawlspace short-circuited, caused localized fire damage to floor joists, and required follow-up handling to allow safe discharge.