Wind turbine catches fire after lightning strike in the US

2022Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorThermal / fireProvisional

Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordRoot cause

Where: United States
What: Wind turbine caught fire after lightning strike
Cause: Lightning strike

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What happened

A wind turbine in the United States caught fire after being struck by lightning. Video footage of the burning turbine circulated online. No site name, operator, location within the US, or turbine specifications were reported in the available source material. The extent of damage, any injuries, and the response to the fire were not detailed.

Contributing factors

A lightning strike is reported as the trigger for the fire, though no further technical detail on contributing factors was provided.

Lessons learned

A lightning strike on a wind turbine can start a nacelle or blade fire, so operators should check the state of down conductors and surge protection after every strike.
Video of a burning wind turbine can spread quickly, so owners should plan for public statements and site security after any visible fire.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, theft, arson and site security, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

Site name and exact location
Turbine model and age
Extent of damage
Any injuries

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

ndtv.com

Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

The record behind this entry

The record behind EIR-0789 holds the root cause as fields you can filter, count and export, with its source and their verification status. The cause is not hidden: the contributing factors above give it as the sources report it. The record adds it as a field. Companies are named in the roles the sources give them. Being named is not a finding of fault.

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Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States: 102 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: lightning strikes on energy assets.

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