Turbines are fire risk
You have once again highlighted the horrors of raging wildfires (“Wildfires
‘becoming danger to human life’, say gamekeepers battling them”, The
Herald, July 1). Several roads in the Carrbridge, Dava, Grantown-on-Spey
and Knockando areas are closed due to hazardous smoke, visible for miles
around.
Here in Moray and the Highlands our once-beautiful countryside is now
littered with the perfect incendiary device.
Politicians seem blissfully unaware that wind turbines pose a huge, deadly
and growing threat to rural communities, livestock, wildlife and habitats.
Hundreds have been built in forests, on peat-covered moorland, tinder-dry
during hot weather.
Poor maintenance, oil leaks and extremely high gear ratios mean wind
turbines pose an increasing risk of spontaneous combustion and collapse.
This is happening alarmingly often, particularly in Germany where they are
known as “Tickende Zeitbomben” – the spine-chilling translation, “ticking
timebombs”.
If these giant turbines burst into flames, they scatter debris, flames and
sparks, that can start a rapidly-spreading inferno because they are
impossible to extinguish at such a height.
Will our politicians and fire service tell us what country-wide, specialist
equipment is available, at a moment’s notice, to extinguish fires at such a
height?
Will the ever-so-green wind industry pay for this potential disaster,
colossal risk to life, and the catastrophic clean-up costs?
George Herraghty, Lhanbryde.
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