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Yep. Saw this too. Surprised. In strong winds wind turbines should be switched to “neutral”, as this appears to be and the others have i.e. blades turned into the wind, and would expect disengaged gearbox (which these ones have), so shouldn’t have overloaded. Perhaps a surge from external source or friction ignited gearbox oil / housing.
(quick scan on google brings up quite a few examples !)
A similar problem would sometimes affect windmills in the 19th century, and earlier. Windmills were prone to catching fire in storms if the mechanism used to secure them from rotating failed. They would turn uncontrollably if the braking system failed, with friction heating the wooden mechanisms until they burst into flame.
In the Dark 
December 8, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Yep. Saw this too. Surprised. In strong winds wind turbines should be switched to “neutral”, as this appears to be and the others have i.e. blades turned into the wind, and would expect disengaged gearbox (which these ones have), so shouldn’t have overloaded. Perhaps a surge from external source or friction ignited gearbox oil / housing.
(quick scan on google brings up quite a few examples !)
Wonder if this can happen to telescope domes ?
December 8, 2011 at 7:09 pm
A similar problem would sometimes affect windmills in the 19th century, and earlier. Windmills were prone to catching fire in storms if the mechanism used to secure them from rotating failed. They would turn uncontrollably if the braking system failed, with friction heating the wooden mechanisms until they burst into flame.
December 8, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Thanks for your recollections, Bryn.
December 8, 2011 at 11:54 pm
You’re welcome ….
as indeed I said to the miller when he thanked me for passing him a pale of water.
December 8, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Sorry, I meant to type pail.
December 9, 2011 at 10:44 am
Did his face turn a whiter shade of pale?
December 9, 2011 at 12:54 pm
He was already pale from the flour dust. It put him beyond the pale.
December 9, 2011 at 9:15 am
Renders Don Quixote superfluous.