Wind turbine fire at Harvest Wind II project in Michigan draws spectators, no injuries

What happened

A wind turbine caught fire on 1 April 2019 near Elkton in Huron County, Michigan. The turbine is part of the Harvest Wind II project, which Exelon Generation says is its project. The fire produced black smoke and flaming debris fell from the turbine, drawing local spectators who watched and recorded the event. Crews could not reach the fire at the top of the turbine, so it was left to burn itself out. As a precaution, operators de-energised other turbines at the Harvest Wind II project. No injuries were reported.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the fire is not stated in the available reporting.

Lessons learned

1. Turbine fires at height are often beyond the reach of ground crews, so response plans should anticipate a controlled burn-out with a safe cordon.
2. Precautionary de-energisation of adjacent turbines can reduce escalation risk while a fire is in progress.
3. Falling burning debris and public gathering show the value of rapid perimeter control during a turbine fire.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Cause of the fire
• Turbine model and age
• Cost of the damage
• Duration of downtime

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

Source

themorningsun.com