Wind turbine blaze 'contained' north of Goderich, Ont.
Todd Edginton could hardly believe his eyes when he looked out his back door to find a wind turbine on fire. He wasn’t alone, as people stopped just north of Goderich to see the spectacle unfold.
“I was going back to the cottage along Highway 21 from Goderich, and saw this. I said to myself, ‘Something odd is going on here,’ so I came looking to see what was happening,” said Listowel native, Warren Howard.
Salman Hossain was heading to Goderich’s beach from Toronto when he saw smoke in the distance.
“At first, I thought nobody saw it, and I should call 9-1-1, but then you [Scott Miller] showed up, and told me what was going on,” said Hossain.
What Hossain and Howard saw was thick black smoke streaming from the top of a towering wind turbine, just off of Golf Course Road, two concessions north of Goderich.
Goderich fire crews responded to a blaze that engulfed a wind turbine north of Goderich, Ont. on June 3, 2023. (Source: Submitted)
The fire was spotted around 6:30 a.m. By, 9 a.m., the main fire, which was centred on the nacelle, or main mechanical and electrical box atop the turbine, was out. But, flames continued to spread down one of the blades.
Goderich fire crews remained on scene for much of the day to ensure nothing falling from the turbine sparked a fire on the ground. Extreme dry conditions sparked a burn ban in Huron and Bruce County earlier this week.
“You’ve got to be careful about these things. Luckily, there’s no crops in the fields. We’re dry, but there’s nothing to burn at the moment,” said Howard, who also works for Wind Concerns Ontario and sits on the Multi-Municipal Wind Turbine Working Group.
Fire crews tackled a blaze that had engulfed a wind turbine near Goderich, Ont. on June 3, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Because the fire was so high off the ground, nearly 100 metres up, firefighters couldn’t actually put it out. It appears the turbine has a fire suppression system, and the fire simply burned itself out, although Capital Power, who operates the 22 turbine Kingsbridge 1 Wind Farm, where Saturday’s fire happened, said an incident investigation will tell them more.
This is the second wind turbine fire at the Kingsbridge 1 Wind Farm, which was constructed in 2006. The last fire in 2013 was very similar, with damage focused on the nacelle, and fire crews forced to watch the fire from the ground.
Howard thinks sprinkler systems should be mandatory on all Ontario wind turbines.
“You can’t get up to the thing they call the ‘nacelles,’ so you gotta have sprinkler systems up there when fires start. There’s a lot of oil up there,” he explained.
Goderich fire crews responded to a blaze that engulfed a wind turbine north of Goderich, Ont. on June 3, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
No one was injured in Saturday’s turbine blaze, which was contained to the single turbine. It’s unclear how long or how much it will cost to fix the damaged turbine, but the next few weeks will be busy for the wind farm operators, Capital Power, as they investigate the damage done 100 metres in the air.
“They do have a risk. I think there’s been 10 in Ontario over the past 10 years that have failed in various ways,” said Howard.
Hossain added that he’s glad no one was hurt, but it’s hard to turn away from the unique spectacle of a fire in a place you wouldn’t expect to see on fire.
“I actually made a video. A TikTok. Like here’s the beautiful view, and this is not so beautiful,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.