Wind turbine destroyed by fire at Vietnamese wind farm
EIR-0972A wind turbine at the Phong Dien 1 Wind Farm in Tuy Phong District, Binh Thuan Province, caught fire. Witnesses reported black smoke billowing from the turbine, followed by explosive sounds before a blade fell to the ground. Due to the turbine's height of about 80 metres, wind farm staff and the local fire protection force were unable to extinguish the fire, which completely destroyed the unit. No injuries were reported. The wind farm, operated by Vietnam Renewable Energy One Member Company, Ltd, is Vietnam's first wind power facility and comprises 20 turbines with a combined capacity of 30 MW, commissioned in 2009. At the time of reporting, technicians were investigating the cause of the fire and assessing the extent of the damage.
The cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of reporting. The turbine's significant height (approximately 80 metres) prevented ground-based firefighting efforts from being effective.
- The height of modern wind turbines can make conventional firefighting methods ineffective, so operators should have specialised fire response plans for nacelle and blade fires.
- Early detection systems, such as thermal or smoke sensors within the nacelle, can help identify faults before they escalate into uncontrollable fires.
- Post-incident investigation and public disclosure of root causes support industry-wide learning and improved turbine design or maintenance practices.
Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.