Witnesses link broken wind turbine to Juniper Fire near Bickleton, cause not confirmed
EIR-1205Provisional entry. A wildfire near Bickleton is confirmed, but officials had not established the cause; only witnesses linked it to a broken wind turbine, and the site and operator are not reported. Next update: 24 September 2026.
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.
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.
- 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.
Published 2026-09-24. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.