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Wind (onshore)United KingdomEIR-1104

Wind turbine destroyed by fire at wind farm near Wynyard, England

Sept 2019Published 19 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire
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 hidden
Where
Wind farm at High Swainston Farm, close to the A689 between Wynyard and Sedgefield
What
Wind turbine caught fire at blade attachment point before 6pm on 26 September 2019
Response
Two fire crews from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue at scene at 7pm
Cause
Not reported
Outcome
Blade fell, grass at base caught alight, turbine destroyed

What happened

A wind turbine at a wind farm at High Swainston Farm, close to the A689 between Wynyard and Sedgefield, caught fire before 6pm on 26 September 2019. Reporting said the fire started at the point where the blade is attached to the tower. Smoke was visible from the A19 flyover. Two fire crews from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue were at the scene at 7pm. A blade later fell from the tower to the ground, and grass at the base of the tower then caught alight. The turbine was reported destroyed. The cause was not reported.

Contributing factors

Not reported.

Lessons learned

  1. Fires at the blade to tower connection can lead to blade detachment and falling debris, so site exclusion zones must account for this hazard.
  2. Fires at height on turbines are hard for ground crews to fight directly, so emergency plans must assume total loss of the unit.
  3. Burning debris from a turbine can ignite ground vegetation, so vegetation management and containment around the base matter.

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

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Turbine model and age
  • Operator of the wind farm
  • Cost of the damage and downtime

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

Source

gazettelive.co.uk

Published 2026-09-19. 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 Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United Kingdom: 48 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 blade failures.

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