Witnesses link broken wind turbine to Juniper Fire near Bickleton, cause not confirmed
July 2019Published 24 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Pine Creek Drainage area south of Bickleton, Klickitat County, Washington
- What
- Juniper Fire burned grass, sagebrush and timber
- Cause
- Under investigation; witnesses link to broken wind turbine
- Response
- State fire resources sent to support local crews
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What happened
The Juniper Fire burned grass, sagebrush and timber in the Pine Creek Drainage area south of Bickleton, Klickitat County, Washington. Reporting dated 21 July 2019 said the fire started on the Saturday around 2:00 p.m. An earlier estimate put the burned area at 350 acres; by Sunday evening officials reported 242 acres burned and 40 percent containment. Thirty-nine structures were threatened and none had burned. Level three evacuations were in place.
Crews faced 28 mph wind gusts and low humidity, and state fire resources were sent to support local crews. Officials said the cause remained under investigation. Witnesses said the fire started at a broken wind turbine. It is not reported which turbine, operator or site was involved, or whether that account has been confirmed.
Contributing factors
Officials had not reported a cause. Witnesses attributed ignition to a broken wind turbine, which has not been confirmed. Reported fire weather included wind gusts of 28 mph and low humidity.
Lessons learned
- Where witnesses link a wildfire to a turbine, operators should preserve the machine and site evidence until the official cause is known.
- Remote wind sites should have pre-agreed mutual aid with local fire services.
- Elevated wind and low humidity should prompt heightened readiness where turbines stand in dry vegetation.
More lessons on weather and external hazards, fire suppression and firefighting, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Which turbine, operator or site was involved
- Whether witness account has been confirmed
- Turbine model and age
- Cost of the damage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-24. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
