Viral images of solar panels on fire unrelated to recent explosions in Lebanon

What is the claim?

A collage of two images—one showing a solar panel on fire and the other depicting a house engulfed in flames—is circulating widely on social media with the claim that it depicts solar panels exploding in Lebanon. This claim emerged days after pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in the country, resulting in at least 32 fatalities over two days.

One post on X (formerly Twitter), shared by Suresh Chavhanke, the Editor-in-Chief of Sudarshan News, an Indian right-wing outlet known for spreading misinformation, captioned the viral image in Hindi: “Oh my God! The solar panels installed by Hezbollah on their roofs are also exploding like bombs. The world is wondering, what technology has Israel invented?!” 

As of the time this fact-check was written, the post had garnered 11,000 likes and had been reposted nearly 3,000 times. Archived versions of similar posts on X can be found here, here, and here.

These claims have also appeared on Facebook, with archived links to similar posts available here, here and here. 

Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts) 

However, we found that the viral images predate the explosions in Lebanon and are circulating with false claims.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of the solar panel photo led us to a post shared on X (archived here) by the account 'Fire Safety Research Institute' on January 10, 2020. This post featured the exact image from the viral collage, accompanied by a caption stating, "As today is #CutYourEnergyCostsDay, many citizens may be considering installing #solarpanels on their homes. What does that mean for #firefightersafety?"

The post linked to a 2010 research study examining “firefighter vulnerability to electrical and casualty hazards” when responding to fires involving photovoltaic (PV) systems like solar panels. The research paper also included similar images of solar panels on fire, confirming that the viral image is old and unrelated to the recent events in Lebanon.

Comparison between the viral picture and the post shared by the Fire Safety Research Institute.
(Source: X/@FSRI_org/Screenshot)

The image also appeared in a blog post published on December 20, 2019, by Sunlit Future – Solar Energy Solutions, discussing fire safety in relation to solar power systems.

The second image of a house engulfed in flames was identified in a report by Kelowna Capital News, dated December 7, 2020. The report described a fire that occurred in Westshore Estates, near Lawrence Beach, on November 6, 2020, noting that North Westside Fire Rescue crews extinguished the fire without any reported injuries.

Comparison between the viral picture and the image shared by the Kelowna Capital News website.
 (Source: X/kelownacapnews.com/Screenshot)

While we could not ascertain the exact details of this image, its presence online since 2020 indicates that it is unrelated to the recent explosions in Lebanon.

Furthermore, although reports of solar panels catching fire in Lebanon have surfaced amid the recent explosions, AP News has noted that experts remain skeptical about these incidents, suggesting they may be coincidental.

The explosions in Lebanon

Following the explosions on September 17 and 18 in Lebanon, the region remains on edge. The blasts, which involved the detonation of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members, led to around 32 fatalities and left thousands of the Iran-backed militant group's fighters injured.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of orchestrating the explosions and has pledged retaliation. Although Israel has not issued a statement regarding the incidents, the details surrounding the blasts remain uncertain, further escalating tensions in the region.

The verdict

The viral images have been online long before the recent explosions in Lebanon and are now circulating with false claims.