Wind turbine fire in Sebastian under investigation, officials say
Sebastian, TX (KRGV) — A fire at a wind turbine in Sebastian remains under investigation, according to the Sebastian Volunteer Fire Department.
Crews temporarily closed the area near FM 1018 and FM 2099 to respond to the blaze that was reported Monday just before 5 p.m., according to Sebastian Volunteer Fire Department Chief Aurelio Cadena.
Video shared on social media shows the wind turbine on fire.
“We basically ended up doing traffic control because everybody in Willacy County was coming over to take a picture,” Cadena said.
Emergency officials notified the turbine owners and watched the fire to make sure nothing below caught fire.
“These are fiberglass materials in the heat — it melts them, and then you’re 200 feet in the air,” Willacy County Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Torres said.
Marshall Swanberg, a third generation farmer in Sebastian, said wind turbines on his property have become part of everyday life.
Swanberg said he hopes the wind turbine will be rebuilt soon.
“We get a profit off the energy it generates,” Swanberg said.
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