Wind turbine fire south of Highmore, South Dakota
Oct 2026Published 21 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
On Monday 19 October 2026, at about 7.13 am, the Highmore Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire at a wind turbine 10 miles south of Highmore, South Dakota. Dispatch confirmed before crews arrived that all workers were accounted for and that no one was inside the tower. Working with wind farm personnel, firefighters kept a safe distance while extinguishing burning debris on the ground and a small field fire.
Cool temperatures and high humidity helped contain the field fire to less than half an acre. Crews stayed until no flames were visible at the top of the tower, then handed the scene back to wind farm personnel. The Hyde County Sheriff's Office and Hyde County Emergency Management also attended. The cause of the fire was not stated in the release.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The cause of the fire was not stated in the fire department release or the news report.
Lessons learned
- Agree in advance with local fire services how turbine fires will be handled, including safe distances, access routes and when the scene is handed back to site personnel.
- Treat burning debris on the ground as a fire spread risk, because it can ignite surrounding vegetation and crops.
- Confirm personnel are accounted for and that the tower is clear before responders approach, and communicate this clearly to the fire service.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, spacing, layout and fire spread, structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-21. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
