Hamilton County Reporter

A fire at the Hamilton County Jail on Tuesday evening is being blamed on a malfunctioning solar panel located on the jail roof.

Noblesville fire officials did not provide an estimate of the cost of the damage, but said the fire was limited to the roof’s rubber membrane and two solar panels.

The fire was first reported to 911 dispatch by passing drivers who could see smoke coming from the roof of the jail.

The solar panels, installed in September 2018, are part of an $8 million project which features 9,346 solar panels on building roofs at the Correctional Campus on Cumberland Road and three acres of county property near the main public safety radio tower on the east side of State Road 37.