MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — The Knapp family lost their lakefront “dream home” in the Gray Road Fire. Monday, when the family visited the property to assess the damages, they discovered two solar panels were stolen.
The Knapps have been working to clean up and rebuild their home.
“I was here [on Monday] with our cleanup crew. And then, as my husband came up the driveway, he was staring behind me. He was like ‘did you guys notice what was going on back there?’,” Melissa Knapp said.
The Knapps found tools, nuts and bolts laying on the ground just a few feet away from the panels.
Melissa Knapp told NonStop Local those tools were not there the last time they visited the property.
Solar panel thefts are not uncommon. In fact, it is a growing crime all over the world.
According to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, thieves are stealing solar panels and sometimes re-selling them on the black market due to how expensive they are and how easy it can be to remove the panels from a home.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the theft but did not have specific data on whether solar panel thefts are on the rise in the county.
