Wind turbine fire breaks out at Butterwick wind farm near Sedgefield
EIR-1119Provisional entry. Confirmed: a turbine at Butterwick Wind Farm near Sedgefield caught fire in September 2019 and fire crews attended with no reported injuries. Not yet known: the cause, the extent of damage, the turbine model and the roles of the companies involved. Next update: 20 September 2026.
A wind turbine at Butterwick Wind Farm, near Sedgefield in County Durham, caught fire at about 6pm on a Thursday evening, according to a local news report. Witnesses said smoke and flames could be seen on the turbine's blades. County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from Newton Aycliffe and Peterlee, and mobilised a flexi duty officer who informed Northern PowerGrid. The report said EDF Energy, described as the supplier, was dealing with the incident. No one was reported injured and the cause was not known at the time of reporting. The extent of damage and the outcome of any investigation have not been reported.
Not reported.
- Turbine fires are highly visible from surrounding communities, so early public and landowner communication reduces speculation.
- Notifying the distribution network operator early, as happened here, supports safe isolation and firefighter access.
- Publishing the cause once an investigation concludes helps other operators act on the same failure mode.
Published 2026-09-20. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.