August 10, 2022
By News Director Jared Atha
A wind turbine in Custer County is no more, thanks to the impacts of a strong thunderstorm that moved through the area on Tuesday.
First responders arrived at the Traverse Wind Energy Center around 4:30 p.m. to find one of the turbines on fire.
The turbine was located 6 miles west of Thomas.
Video from the scene showed what is believed to be one of the turbines on the ground, on fire, with its support structure folded.
A spokesperson for the Public Service Company of Oklahoma said the site has been secured, and there were no injuries.
The utility company said the cause of the incident is under investigation, however Doppler radar indicated there was lightning around the wind facility before the turbine caught fire, but officials have not confirmed if lightning played a role in the incident.
The wind farm spans two counties in Oklahoma and is considered to be one of the world’s largest wind farms.
The utility company did not report any other damage to the facility from the storms.
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