The wind turbine fire could be seen from the Hume Highway and surrounding countryside. Photo: NSW RFS.
A spectacular fire at the top of a wind turbine near Goulburn that could be seen for kilometres around has burnt itself out, but not before generating multiple calls to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Six crews responded just after 6 am today (5 January) to the turbine fire off the Hume Highway at the wind farm on Lerida Road at Breadalbane, southwest of Goulburn.
But the blaze on the 90-metre-high turbine mast was well out of reach and crews could only keep a watching brief to ensure there were no spot fires in the surrounding grassland.
NSW RFS spokesperson Greg Allan said there had not been any threat to neighbouring properties and the fire self-extinguished just after 10 am. The scene was handed back to the wind farm contractor, which had shut down the turbine.
“I believe it’s standard practice for the industry to let them burn out,” he said. “It’s the only thing they can do.”
Mr Allan said it was not the standard type of fire the RFS attended.
“It certainly is unique for our crew, which usually deal with bush and, particularly this year, grass fires,” he said.
The cause of the fire was not known and Mr Allan could not say if a weather event such as a lightning strike from recent storms had sparked the blaze.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on Riotact.
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