Early Friday morning, April 4th, around 5:45 AM, the Dover Fire Department was called out to a wind turbine fire near N2900 and E670 roads, just southeast of Hennessey. The fire kicked off after a lightning strike hit one of the turbine blades, setting it ablaze—something local residents definitely noticed lighting up the sky.
So… How Often Does This Happen?
Not every day, but more than you’d think. Turbine fires aren’t super common, but when they do happen, it’s a headache. These towers are way up there and often planted in hard-to-reach spots, which makes it tricky—and sometimes impossible—for firefighters to get the fire under control.
Why Do Turbines Catch Fire?
Lightning is the main troublemaker—these towers are tall, exposed, and basically sitting ducks during a storm. And once a fire starts? It doesn’t take long before the whole thing’s toast. Because they are so tall, really the only thing the fire departments can do is make sure that the area around the structure doesn’t catch on fire.
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