Wind turbine motor fire blamed for wildfire near Merkel, Texas

A motor on a wind turbine caught fire in Mulberry Canyon, southwest Taylor County, Texas, on 26 August 2019 and was blamed by the Texas A&M Forest Service for sparking a wildfire later named the Rhodes Ranch 3 Fire. The blaze burned about 250 acres of rough canyon and ridge terrain near the turbine. The forest service was called at about 6.30pm to assist several volunteer fire departments. Firefighting was hampered by record heat of 109F in Abilene and by terrain that bulldozers could not reach in places. The response included a heavy air tanker, a single-engine airplane dropping retardant, a helicopter dropping water on hot spots, and dozers and graders building containment lines. By the following afternoon the fire was 60 percent contained. No structures were burned. Injuries were not reported.

Record high temperatures of 109F on the day of the fire and rough canyon terrain that limited firefighting access were cited as complicating factors. The turbine motor fire was reported as the suspected ignition source; no formal investigation findings were published in the source.

1. Turbine motors, drivetrains and nacelle electrical equipment should be inspected and maintained regularly to reduce overheating and ignition risk, particularly during extreme heat.
2. Vegetation management and firebreaks around turbines in fire-prone or drought-affected areas can limit wildfire spread if an ignition occurs.
3. Operators of sites in remote or steep terrain should agree access routes and response arrangements with local fire services in advance, since ground appliances may not reach ridge or canyon positions.

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