Fire in the sky: Wind turbine catches fire in West Pubnico, firefighters protect surrounding area
A wind turbine fire lit up the sky in West Pubnico, Yarmouth County, on July 21 when one of the windmills at the Pubnico Point Wind Energy Centre caught fire. Firefighters could not douse the fire itself, but they carried out fire protection of the surrounding area to ensure the fire did not spread. PHOTO FRANKIEArticle contentWhen firefighters arrived on the scene of a wind turbine fire in West Pubnico, Yarmouth County, on July 21, they knew there was nothing they could do to put the fire out given the height and distance they were dealing with.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentInstead, firefighters focused their efforts on ensuring the fire from high above did not spread to the woods or any nearby properties or residences.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentAfter a few hours, the fire burned itself out.Article contentA couple of hours after that, the arrival of heavy rain also came as a relief.Article contentThe fire involved one of the turbines at the Pubnico Point Wind Energy Centre wind farm. This wind farm, made up of 17 turbines, began commercial operation in 2005. NextEra Energy Canada purchased the operation in 2008.Article contentThe company’s website says the turbines are capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 9,000 homes. Each turbine is about 78 metres from the ground to the hub in the centre of the blades.Article content A lobster fishing boat steams out of Pubnico Harbour past the Pubnico Point wind farm during a previous fishing season.KATHY JOHNSON Photo by Kathy Johnson /Kathy JohnsonArticle contentNextEra Energy Canada issued a very brief statement to the media about the fire.Article content“A fire occurred (July 21) at the Pubnico Point Wind Energy Centre. Importantly, there were no injuries,” the statement read. “We are grateful for the efforts of local first responders. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”Article contentArticle contentTOO HIGH TO FIGHTArticle contentThe call about the fire came in around 9:15 p.m.Article contentKnowing the height of the windmills, Chief Devin d’Entremont was asked what went through his mind as he travelled to the scene, and while also co-ordinating the fire response.Article contentArticle content“How am I going to fix this?” he remembered thinking at the time. He knew it would be impossible to put the fire itself out.Article contentD’Entremont is the chief of the Pubnico and District Volunteer Fire Department, which is made up of the West Pubnico and East Pubnico fire departments. Firefighters from the department responded to the scene. He also sought mutual aid assistance from the Islands and Barrington Passage Fire Department, asking the department to bring its ladder truck.Article content“I brought them in, just in case we could use them. It was good to have spare equipment when you deal with something like that,” said d’Entremont, acknowledging a windmill fire is extremely hard to fight. “When I arrived on scene, there was one windmill that was fully involved, on top. Nothing wrong with the stem.”Article content NextEra Energy Canada says the cause of a fire to one of its wind turbines in being investigated. The wind farm is located on the tip of Pubnico Point in West Pubnico, Yarmouth County.FRANKIE CROWELLArticle contentAside from the height challenge, there were also distance safety protocols between the windmills that had to be followed, d’Entremont said.Article content“There was really nothing we could do, other than let it burn and protect all around it,” he said. Firefighters carried out fire protection of the surrounding area.