Wildfire resilience: How vegetation clearing protected an 11 MW solar plant in France

A wildfire that broke out on July 4 in Trévillach, in France’s Pyrénées-Orientales department, later spread toward the Ille-sur-Têt area, burning across a front of nearly 18 km. The blaze destroyed several homes, forced the evacuation of around 10,000 residents, and scorched approximately 5,000 hectares. More than 700 firefighters, supported by around 200 vehicles, were deployed to contain the flames.

Despite being located in the affected area, an 11 MW photovoltaic power plant operated by French solar company Luxel suffered only limited damage. According to a video released by the Ministry of the Interior, two module arrays — representing around 100 panels out of the plant’s 43,500 modules — were damaged. Several cables were also affected, while the transformers and inverters remained operational.

According to Arnaud Ponche, Luxel’s director, the plant’s resilience was largely due to compliance with mandatory vegetation clearing requirements.

“Damage was limited thanks to regular vegetation maintenance at the site and within the 50-meter perimeter around the fences. Clearing brush, particularly during periods of drought, is more essential than ever to help prevent such disasters,” he said.

The cleared area around the solar plant acted as a firebreak, preventing flames from reaching most of the facility. After the alert was issued, the plant was disconnected from the grid and shut down by Enedis’s grid control center.

The operator said it follows fire prevention recommendations issued by the departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS) across all of its solar facilities. It also highlighted the work of the approximately 800 firefighters mobilized during the wildfire.

Restoration efforts began shortly afterward. By July 10, half of the inverters had been brought back online. The plant now requires cleaning and fence replacement, while a structural assessment is being carried out to determine whether the equipment sustained any heat-related damage.