Fiery windfarm spectacular

By Tim Pauling

Published: 09/12/2011

More Pictures

A wind turbine burst into flames as hurricane-force winds battered parts of Scotland yesterday.

Firefighters were called as the huge 330ft turbine on the Ardrossan windfarm in North Ayrshire caught fire in the afternoon. However, the blaze died out within minutes of their arrival.

Resident Stuart McMahon, who took the picture, said the turbine was not operating at the time because of the severe weather conditions.

“I didn’t hear any explosion or anything, but my wife shouted for me to come down and see the fire,” he said.

For the full story, pick up a copy of today’s Press and Journal or read our digital edition now

Reader's Comments

One down - 3,000 to go
tufty 40
Report this comment

Tufty, 2 down - there was one blown over in the borders.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

A lot of taxpayer money goes down the drain but not usully up in flames. Salmond green dividend seem to be a white elephant.
Alan Craigie
Report this comment

Better a wind turbine explodes than a nuclear power station.
Hoots Min
Report this comment

Typical...something goes on fire and it's the SNP's fault, Salmond's a monkey for wanting wind farms, let's get rid of all of them...grow up ye bunch of retards.
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Scott there is a worrying over-dependency on large scale wind power projects at the expense of other alternative energy sources, particularly small-scale hydro and solar schemes which could make a significant difference with minimal environmental impact.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

And?
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

And it would be great if the emphasis on alternative energy sources shifted away from wind power and offered more support to small scale schemes including micro hydro and solar. It would also be great if the government would take action to raise building standards in order to tackle energy inefficiency. Our Scandinavian chums have a much higher standard of insulation and energy efficiency.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

I can understand not wanting to build any more, but this constant blame, blame, blame is tiring. No better that the house of commons bawbags. point scoring and blame gaming. suck the back o them!
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Better a wind turbine explodes than a nuclear power station,,Well said Hoots!!!!
Tam Glen
Report this comment

Boo-hoo-hoo...go and do something about it then, rather than moan in the comment's section of a local rag...
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Michty Tam, I have to agree with you there. It does highlight though one of the wee problems with over dependency on wind as an energy source. Not enough wind means no energy production, too much wind means no energy production and a hefty repair bill.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

To be fair, they're not designed to run in winds at over 120mph....it's not as if the country gets that every week...by the same argument; Japan sucks as it got washed away by a wave...
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Scotland has 25% of Europe's wind resource, it would be daft not to harness it. Small solar schemes have proved to be so popular the subsidy is to be cut from next year.
Tam Glen
Report this comment

Tam and Scott I'm not saying wind power is a waste of time - I would merely like to see greater investment in alternatives. Why is solar water heating much more popular in Scandinavia than it is in Scotland? Every new house in Scotland should have solar heating panels - cheap, maintenance free and extremely effective.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

The fact is the government doesn't want to support schemes which impact negatively on the profit margins of the energy companies.
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

Well, it'd be a little irresponsible if they didn't!
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Scott I'm sorry I don't understand your last comment. Could you clarify? Aye you saying the government should support schemes which boost the profits of energy companies and not support small scale schemes which cut people's energy consumption?
Alasdair Johnston
Report this comment

Who should we blame for this farce then? Westminster for sure but the SG are the ones chasing these insane renewable targets and believing that thousands of turbines over our country will help them reach the unachievable. I object to funding it through my energy bills as do many others who are in fuel poverty. Ask your energy companies how much of a supplement is added to pay for all this. If they won't tell you put in a FOI request. They have to justify what they are charging you for. If the subsidies came from government budgets and not our pockets they would have been slashed long ago. The greedy wind farm developers and compliant land owners would then melt away. It's not about saving the planet it's about making obscene profits for something that is woefully inefficient and at our expense. Use the money for something that can deliver reliable energy and not this nonsense.
New Highlander
Report this comment

I'm saying that Government has a responisibility to encourage businesses in order to sustain a thriving economy. Whether you, I, or anyone else decides to put in Solar power into their homes is another point entirely and not up to the Government to do.
Scott McCarthy
Report this comment

Give it a chance, it’s a young developing industry and we should be at the forefront of it. Also, it’s not going to be long before world oil & gas reserves start run out causing fossil fuel prices to rise. This is why we need a backup and hopefully by the time that does start to happen renewable energy will be cost efficient through R&D.
name withheld
Report this comment

Surely it must have been Donald Trump's fault. We all now how combustible he is. Maybe his haipiece blew off and got stuck in the turbine.
charley varrick
Report this comment

A yound developing industry? Are we talking about wind power? Are you hving a laugh? Wind was one of the first natural resources to be harnessed and was abandoned as soon as something better came along. Why? Because it wasn't reliable enough. Where on earth would we be now if we had to rely on the wind to power sailing ships to transport goods around the world, grind corn etc Wind is no back up to any other energy source - simply because you can't rely on it to blow when you want. I think the SG should be encouraging hot water solar panels on all appropriate buildings and as a condition of new builds. The consumer could have hot water all summer and a reduction in their energy bills. The energy companies won't want that though. Who matters most the likes of Spanish Scottish Power or French EDF or the citizens of Scotland? PV solar panels feed in tariffs are still subsidised by the consumer whether they can afford to or not. It is not moral or right for the well off to be able to install them and the less well off paying the inflated tariffs for something they will never be able to afford to install themselves. It all stinks with the system making the rich richer and the poor poorer.
New Highlander
Report this comment

I was talking about renewables in general but wind turbine’s is a big part of that. Not sure if they had batteries to store electricity when we were sailing ships, but when there is no fossil fuel left then how do we power our ships, back to sailing maybe? This is where R&D comes in, without it we would still be riding about in a penny farthing and horse and cart. Are you a solar panel salesman? I don't sell wind turbines myself.
name withheld
Report this comment

All this talk about government ecouraging certain industries indicates how deeply engrained the Socialist mindset is in Scotland. ALL subsidizing an industry gets you is an industry that requires subsidies. If a free market cannot support an industry then taxpayers should NEVER subsidize it. Scots would do well to develop a free market mindset and throw off the yoke of Socialism that has ruined entrepeneurial spirit here.
Alan Craigie
Report this comment

No - not a salesman for anything. A realist. I don't believe wind turbines are or should be a big part of the renewables we install. I want people to benefit from less energy consumption and lower bills, have their own pv solar panels, NOT fed into the grid unless the tariff is not inflated and paid by the energy companies, and/or have hot water panels for their own use. I am not against renewable technology but I am against wind power as it is today. Unreliable, polluting, hugely expensive for what it is and saves minimal CO2 emissions if any. The facts are out there if anyone is concerned enough to research it. I am not a Nimby - I have no developments in my back yard - but I am thoroughly disgusted with this government's treatment of people in rural communities threatened with life changing wind farm proposals next to their homes.
New Highlander
Report this comment

All the people who think renewable energy is a waste of time should read this. ourworld.unu.edu/en/oil-reserve-estimates-inflated/
name withheld
Report this comment

What's your point? I don't know anybody who thinks renewable energy is a waste of time.Wind farms are though. The assumption that people against wind energy are against all renewables is so far off the mark it is ridiculous.
New Highlander
Report this comment

To post a comment, please login using the form at the top of the page, or click to register.