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Wind (onshore)United KingdomEIR-2624

Lightning strike reportedly sets Cambridgeshire wind turbine alight

May 2018Published 29 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire10 MW
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenThe maker is named in 2 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Gamesa, Senvion, Thrive Renewables

What happened

In the early hours of Wednesday 30 May 2018, a wind turbine caught fire at the five-turbine Ransonmoor wind farm in Cambridgeshire, England. Local media reported that the turbine had been struck by lightning, and published video of the aftermath. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attended but said no firefighting action was required; it remained on standby while the fire burned out. No injuries were reported. The 10 MW site is operated by Thrive Renewables and uses 2 MW Gamesa G80 and Senvion MM82 turbines. It entered service in 2007. At the time of reporting, Thrive Renewables had not responded to a request for comment.

Contributing factors

Local media reported a lightning strike as the trigger. The source does not report confirmation of this cause by the operator or the fire service.

Lessons learned

  1. Operators should confirm lightning protection, earthing and bonding on turbines are inspected and tested on a schedule, particularly for older machines.
  2. Fire services and operators should agree a response plan for turbine fires, including exclusion zones and when to let a fire burn out.
  3. Operators should publish a confirmed cause once investigated, so that other sites can act on the findings.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, fire suppression and firefighting, investigation and fleet-wide checks, from every incident on the register.

Source

Recharge (rechargenews.com)

Other entries that name Cambridgeshire

Published 2026-10-29. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United Kingdom: 48 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: lightning strikes on energy assets.

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