Wind turbine near Bönen catches fire – Hamm–Dortmund railway line closed for hours

Cause of the fire and technical background

The fire department had previously received reports of dense black clouds of smoke visible for kilometres. The casing of the installation had also burned away, Rudolf reported. A spokesperson for the volunteer fire department added that it also had to be checked whether debris had fallen onto the railway line.

Due to the immediate proximity to the Hamm–Dortmund railway line, the route had to be closed in both directions from midday for several hours, as the railway announced. The line between Cologne and Berlin was also affected by diversions, according to Deutsche Bahn. As reported by Zuginfo NRW, the closure led to significant disruptions in regional and long-distance services.

Impact on rail traffic

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn in Berlin said the line closure could be lifted again in the early evening. This had been preceded by checks, among other things, of whether debris had fallen onto the tracks. Inspections using drones and thermal imaging cameras had not revealed any smouldering hotspots.

Residents were initially asked via a warning app to keep windows and doors closed to protect themselves from the smoke. There was also no vegetation fire on the field where the installation stood caused by falling debris, the fire department reported.

Safety measures and consequences for residents

It was initially unclear why the head of the installation at a height of 95 metres and one of the 45-metre-long rotor blades caught fire. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. According to current findings, however, no people were harmed.

The authorities stressed that the situation was under control after the installation shut itself down. The closure of the railway line nevertheless remained in place until the evening hours in order to carry out final safety inspections of the tracks and surrounding area. Travellers between Hamm, Dortmund, Cologne and Berlin had to accept longer journey times and diversions in some cases.