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Wind (onshore)NetherlandsEIR-0924

Fire in Vestas turbine prompts wind farm retrofit

2000Published 16 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hiddenThe maker is named in 30 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Muiderhoek wind farm near Almere
Owner
NUON
What
Fire in Vestas V-66 turbine burnt out nacelle, rotor and top of tower
Response
Firefighters could not tackle blaze as ladders too short
Cause
Short circuit in low-wind cut-in system, not confirmed

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): NUON, Vestas

What happened

In early July 2000, a fire broke out in one of the Vestas V-66 turbines at the Muiderhoek wind farm near Almere, owned by NUON. The fire burnt out the nacelle, the rotor and the uppermost section of the three-part, 67 metre tower. Firefighters arriving on the scene could not tackle the blaze directly because their ladders were too short. Vestas replaced the low-wind speed start-up system in all ten of the plant's turbines. The wind station was reported to be fully operational again.

Contributing factors

The fire is thought to have been caused by a short circuit in the low-wind cut-in system. That cause has not been confirmed in the published report.

Lessons learned

  1. Short circuits in low-wind cut-in systems of Vestas V-66 turbines can start nacelle fires, so operators should inspect wiring and fit upgraded systems.
  2. Nacelle fires at hub height cannot be fought from the ground, so site plans must allow for remote isolation and a debris exclusion zone.
  3. A single confirmed failure in a start-up system can affect a whole fleet, so owners should replace the component across all units of that model.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the short circuit
  • Duration of lost generation
  • Cost of the repairs and retrofit

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

Source

Windpower Monthly (windpowermonthly.com)

Published 2026-09-16. 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 by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the Netherlands: 5 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: wind turbine nacelle fires.

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