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Wind Turbine Bursts into Flames

by Will Jones
3 February 2025 11:00 AM

A wind turbine has burst into flames in Cambridgeshire – the latest instance of an issue previously described by Imperial College London as a “big problem” that is not being “fully reported”. The Telegraph has the story.

Emergency services were called to Coldham Windfarm in the Fens at around 10am on Sunday as black smoke was seen billowing from one of the eight turbines.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At around 10am on Sunday crews from March and Stanground were called to a fire on March Road in Coldham.

“Firefighters arrived to find a well-developed fire involving a wind turbine. Working with staff on site they made the area safe and allowed the fire to burn out safely.

“The crews left the scene by around 1pm and made regular inspections throughout the day to make sure the area remained safe.

“They will make further inspections this evening and will fully establish the cause of the fire.”

Wind turbine fires are believed to be rare, although accurate statistics are not widely available and there have been several incidents recorded in the UK over the past few years.

The turbines contain some highly flammable materials – such as oil and plastics – that are close to electrical wires. If the machinery is faulty and a spark is ignited, flames can quickly take hold.

A turbine in Chulmleigh, Devon, had its engine destroyed by flames in September 2024, while a turbine at Scroby Sands off the coast of Norfolk burnt until the fire self-extinguished in August 2023.

In Hull, a fire scattered charred debris on the ground near a chemical plant with residents worried that the turbine might have collapsed.

The turbines, which are designed to catch the wind, are exposed to the same flow of oxygen that fuels fire and there are more than 11,000 of them in the UK.

A study by Imperial College London from 2014 described wind turbine fires as a “big problem” that was not being “fully reported”.

Researchers estimated there to be a global average of 11.7 fires each year among the 200,000 wind turbines in existence at the time. That figure has now risen to 341,000, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: FirefightersRenewablesWind FarmsWind Turbines

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23 Comments
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DiscoveredJoys
DiscoveredJoys
3 months ago

Every decision involves a trade-off – which means that full data should be available and not waved away by a wave of an activists hand.

14
0
hoolio
hoolio
3 months ago
Reply to  DiscoveredJoys

In my work, I’ve tried to obtain these sorts of data from official and/or reliable sources. It’s either extremely difficult or, more usually, the data is simply not available. And that’s before you have to face the possibility that some of the data is fake.

8
0
Gezza England
Gezza England
3 months ago

Perhaps windmill fires are as ‘rare’ as battery cars going up in flames and toxic smoke. There was a more unusual one where a battery scooter in the boot caught fire and burnt a normal car out.

8
0
NeilofWatford
NeilofWatford
3 months ago

‘exposed to the same flow of oxygen that fuels fire’
Glad they mentioned that. I’d have wondered otherwise …

10
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
3 months ago
Reply to  NeilofWatford

And don’t ever forget ‘they are designed to catch the wind’
You learn something new everyday!

15
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  Dinger64

It does seem to be written for the ‘hard of thinking’ doesn’t it… also there’s a quote an engine was damaged… surely they mean generator?

8
0
mrbu
mrbu
3 months ago
Reply to  Purpleone

Unless they have a motor to make the turbine go round on calm days, to create the impression it’s doing some good, and create a breeze to drive the next turbine downwind?
Don’t worry, I’m not being serious.

4
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  mrbu

Joking aside, I wonder if they do have a small diesel generator as a power backup of last resort… it certain conditions they need to be able to brake the thing, or furl the blades (I think that’s the term used)

3
0
The Real Engineer
The Real Engineer
3 months ago
Reply to  Purpleone

Don’t worry they are connected to the Grid! But if that fails there will be a problem.

0
0
Purpleone
Purpleone
3 months ago
Reply to  The Real Engineer

That’s what I meant – say your wind farm of 100 turbines loses its grid connection and a storm is coming, they must have some inbuilt backup power to park them / protect them somehow or you could lose the lot. Maybe some stored air or similar + batteries for control gear

0
0
ACW
ACW
3 months ago
Reply to  Dinger64

Except on the days when it is too windy to generate electricity……
Ohh… but no problem the con-companies still get paid 🤔

5
0
EppingBlogger
EppingBlogger
3 months ago

The smoke from that fire is reall pollution. What will the greenies say – nothing, I suspect.

10
0
Alan M
Alan M
3 months ago
Reply to  EppingBlogger

Plus the carbon compounds.

3
0
Ron Smith
Ron Smith
3 months ago
Reply to  EppingBlogger

Probably saved a few birds by burning down. Chris Packham should be happy!

2
0
Art Simtotic
Art Simtotic
3 months ago

Not for nothing some three hundred years ago were all those dark satanic mills powered by the high density, high gradient, high continuity hydrocarbon energy that superseded flaky windmills and waterwheels inherently subject to the whims of weather.

And three hundred years later, dimwit politicians and media still don’t get it.

Bring me my bow of burning coal, bring me my arrows of fire.

Last edited 3 months ago by Art Simtotic
12
0
Keencook
Keencook
3 months ago
Reply to  Art Simtotic

Bring me my arrow & I know where I’d shoot it…

4
0
JXB
JXB
3 months ago

More please.

4
0
mrbu
mrbu
3 months ago

What a good job wind energy is so cheap and plentiful. They’ll have plenty of money in the coffers to buy replacement turbines.
I’m in ironic mode today.

5
0
Jabby Mcstiff
Jabby Mcstiff
3 months ago

They destroy on so many levels and yet they are held to be benificent. You don’t need a clearer illustration of the Satanic nature of this agenda. You find it in every area of this project. Everything they produce is the very opposite of what it purports to be. The electric car is an increasingly conspicuous example. Just consider their conceit, the assumption that we would all just go along with this agenda and eat the bugs. It really shows you how much they are high on their own supply.

2
0
zebedee
zebedee
3 months ago

I’m sure the insurers have the data

4
0
sskinner
sskinner
3 months ago

“Firefighters arrived to find a well-developed fire involving a wind turbine…”
I’m certain this fire would have been visible from some miles away.

4
0
7941MHKB
7941MHKB
3 months ago

I tried, a few years ago, to find Health and Safety statistics for Big Wind. Both onshore and offshore.

For some strange reason, official statistics of serious injury and fatalities were then hard to find.

No doubt the HSE are now all over the case, such a blatantly high risk workplace!

I well remember how keen Her Majesty’s Mining Inspectorate were, quite rightly!

Surely, it couldn’t be the case that different H&S approaches were applied to different industries??

3
0
Less government
Less government
3 months ago

Add that environmental hazard to the thousands of EVs that are catching fire when it is least expected. The fire caused by a damaged or faulty battery is very toxic and incredibly difficult to put out.

0
0

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