Wind turbine fire closes A7 motorway near Kitzingen, Germany

What happened

On the evening of Saturday 23 May 2026, a wind turbine more than 100 metres high between Repperndorf and Biebelried, near Kitzingen in Bavaria, caught fire beside the A7 motorway. Several road users reported heavy smoke from the turbine, and fire services sent a large deployment. Crews could not fight the fire from outside, as no available equipment reaches over 100 metres, and entering the tower to fight it was ruled out.

The A7 was closed between the Kitzingen and Marktbreit junctions for about three and a half hours. The fire was still burning on Sunday, when one blade had fallen and two others were hanging from the turbine. Crews set up a safety perimeter of about 300 metres. The fire later went out by itself. Police warned onlookers that falling parts could cause serious injury. No injuries were reported. The cause was not stated in the sources.

Contributing factors

The cause was not stated in the sources. Firefighting from outside was not possible because no equipment reached the height of the turbine, and crews could not enter the tower to fight the fire. Onlookers approached the exclusion zone, which police said increased the risk of injury from falling parts.

Lessons learned

1. Operators and fire services should agree in advance how a fire at height will be managed, since ground-based appliances may not reach a nacelle.
2. Exclusion zones must be sized for falling blades and debris, and enforced against onlookers.
3. Where turbines stand close to strategic roads, closure and diversion plans should be prepared before an incident occurs.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Source

t-online.de