Blaze destroys turbine at southwest Nova Scotia wind farm
CBC News|Jul 22, 2026
A wind turbine at the West Pubnico wind farm in Nova Scotia was destroyed by fire on Tuesday evening, with fire crews unable to extinguish the flames located at the top of the 78-metre tower. This incident marks the second similar fire at the farm since 2019. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and there were no injuries reported.
A wind turbine at the West Pubnico wind farm in Nova Scotia was destroyed by fire on Tuesday evening, with fire crews unable to extinguish the flames located at the top of the 78-metre tower. This incident marks the second similar fire at the farm since 2019. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and there were no injuries reported.
The same West Pubnico wind farm had a similar fire in 2019
Fire crews attended a blaze at a wind farm in southwest Nova Scotia on Tuesday evening but could not reach the flames at the top of the 78-metre tower.
“You can't really fight it,” said West Pubnico Fire Department Chief Devin d’Entremont. “We just protect the surrounding areas.”
D’Entremont said firefighters arrived around 9:15 p.m. to find the components at the top of the tower “fully involved.”
“She was burning for a bit before we got the call,” he said.
The chief said crews stayed on the scene until the fire burned out, close to 1 a.m., to ensure it did not spread to the surrounding forest and nearby homes.
As of Wednesday morning, d’Entremont said, the tower was still …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]The same West Pubnico wind farm had a similar fire in 2019
Fire crews attended a blaze at a wind farm in southwest Nova Scotia on Tuesday evening but could not reach the flames at the top of the 78-metre tower.
“You can't really fight it,” said West Pubnico Fire Department Chief Devin d’Entremont. “We just protect the surrounding areas.”
D’Entremont said firefighters arrived around 9:15 p.m. to find the components at the top of the tower “fully involved.”
“She was burning for a bit before we got the call,” he said.
The chief said crews stayed on the scene until the fire burned out, close to 1 a.m., to ensure it did not spread to the surrounding forest and nearby homes.
As of Wednesday morning, d’Entremont said, the tower was still standing. The top — including the hub, nacelle and blades — was destroyed, he said.
D’Entremont said the cause is not currently known and he could not yet say whether fire officials will investigate. He said there is no reason to believe it was arson.
Commissioned in 2005, the Pubnico Point wind farm is one of the oldest in Nova Scotia. It experienced a similar turbine fire in 2019.
The wind farm is owned by NextEra Energy Canada, a subsidiary of Florida-based NextEra Energy.
In an emailed statement, the company said there were no injuries, it's grateful to local first responders, and the cause is under investigation.
According to a peer-reviewed article published in 2023 in open-access journal Heliyon, the most common causes of wind turbine fires are lightning strikes, followed by electrical malfunction, mechanical malfunctions and maintenance.
"Due to the numerous flammable materials used in wind turbines (such as fiberglass-reinforced polymers, foam insulation, and wires) and the massive oil storage required to lubricate mechanical components, the fuel load in a turbine nacelle is often very high," the authors wrote.