Wind turbine catches fire at Iberdrola wind farm in Emington, Illinois
May 2015Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Power Project near Emington, Livingston County, Illinois
- Operator
- Iberdrola Renewables
- What
- Wind turbine caught fire
- Response
- Fire crews attended only for traffic control; Iberdrola trucks arrived later
- Cause
- Not reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Iberdrola Renewables
What happened
On the evening of 24 May 2015 a wind turbine caught fire at the Iberdrola Renewables Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Power Project near Emington in Livingston County, Illinois. Local residents reported seeing the turbine burning and travelled to the site to observe. Fire crews attended but reportedly acted only in a traffic control capacity; the reason for this is not reported. The blades continued to turn freely while burning.
Trucks from Iberdrola arrived after the fire crews had left the scene, with the turbine still alight, before departing again. The incident occurred amid a tornado watch and rising winds in the area, and came ten days after a similar turbine fire at Iberdrola's Locust Ridge II wind farm in Iowa.
Contributing factors
Not reported.
Lessons learned
- A burning turbine with blades turning freely cannot be approached safely from the ground, so operators must plan for remote isolation and a debris exclusion zone.
- When fire crews leave a turbine still alight, operators must maintain an on-site presence and give clear updates rather than depart.
- Repeat turbine fires at sites in the same fleet within days should prompt a review of common causes such as component design or maintenance.
More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, fire suppression and firefighting, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Turbine model and age
- Duration of the fire and downtime
- Cost of the damage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Site page: Streator Cayuga Ridge South (status, dates and other incidents)
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
