Firefighters have extinguished a fire that broke out in a caravan at Cardiff South on Friday.
Crews from Charlestown and Cardiff fire stations were called to Second Street around 12.30pm, where they found smoke billowing from the caravan.
Firefighters managed to quickly extinguish the blaze and prevent further damage to the van. No one was inside at the time of the incident, a spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said.
Initial investigations suggest the fire occurred due to an electrical fault in solar panel wiring system within in the caravan.
Superintendent Graham Kingsland from the Fire Investigation and Research Unit said it was important to take steps to ensure solar panels were as safe as possible.
"Over the last five years we have seen solar panel related fires increase five-fold. It is not uncommon to see solar panels cause house and building fires," he said.
"By ensuring solar panels are installed by a licensed installer, and are well maintained by a professional, you can prevent a tragedy."
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