This Article is From Jul 24, 2022

Watch: Wind Turbine In US Catches Fire After Lightning Strike, Creates Spiral-Shaped Smoke Pattern

There were 800 gallons of oil in the gearbox and around 1,300 gallons of mineral oil in the ground-level transformer, officials informed.

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A wind turbine caught fire after being struck by a lightning bolt in North Texas, United States. According to Fox News, the incident took place on Friday. Crews with the Crowell Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, however, they were unable to put the fire out, Fire Chief Perry Shaw told the outlet. 

A video from an eyewitness that captured the hypnotic scene has been shared on several social media platforms. The clip showed the wind turbine generator ablaze and disintegrating in the sky over Crowell, Texas. The huge structure was seen billowing grey rings of smoke while it continued to rotate as it burned. 

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“Lightning struck the tip of a wind turbine blade while I was plowing a few fields away, and about 5 minutes later it caught on fire, then completely fell apart,” the eyewitness said as per Viral Hog. 

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Speaking to Fox News, Mr Shaw estimated that there were 800 gallons of oil in the gearbox and around 1,300 gallons of mineral oil in the ground-level transformer, which caused the smoke to appear dark black in the sky. He said that the firefighters were “not equipped” to handle this kind of fire. “Nobody in the area really is to speak of,” he added. 

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Further, the facility's operator, Innergex Renewable Energy, informed that all personnel at the complex are safe. It also said that the fire only impacted one of its energy turbines. 

Meanwhile, last month a video also captured the terrifying moment a lightning bolt damaged a boat off the Florida coast. Seven passengers were rescued after the lightning damaged a personal sea vessel 100 miles off the coast of Clearwater. The Florida Coast Guard shared the video of the incident which showed the moment lightning hit the boat. 

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