General News
17 January, 2026
Questions remain
SIX months after a wind turbine burned at the Bulgana Green Power Hub near Great Western, the investigation into the fire remains unresolved, with Energy Safe Victoria confirming enquiries are still continuing and offering no indication of when findings may be released. The fire, which occurred on May 28, 2025, destroyed the nacelle of a turbine and prompted a significant emergency response, including CFA crews returning overnight after the site reignited.
The incident reignited concern across western Victoria about turbine safety, bushfire risk and regulatory oversight in fire-prone landscapes.
Despite the passage of time, Energy Safe Victoria says its investigation is ongoing.
“Energy Safe’s investigation into a wind turbine fire at the Bulgana Green Power Hub on 28 May 2025 remains open and enquiries are continuing to determine if any energy safety laws may have been breached,” an Energy Safe Victoria spokesperson said.
The confirmation comes after the regulator completed a statewide inspection blitz of wind farms in the weeks following the fire.
Between June 3 and July 11, 2025, Energy Safe’s Renewable Energy Safety team visited 43 operational wind farms across Victoria, inspecting 183 turbines, more than 10 per cent of the state’s wind fleet.
According to Energy Safe, the inspections focused on turbine condition, maintenance practices and the measures owners and operators have in place to minimise fire risk.
“The inspections revealed turbines were generally in good condition and while there were no immediate safety concerns, the program found consistent areas across multiple sites where safety controls can be strengthened,” the spokesperson said.
Energy Safe is now preparing an industry-focused report outlining those findings, identifying common risk areas and setting out practical actions for wind farm owners and operators. The report will be shared directly with industry to reinforce safety expectations.
What remains unclear is why the Bulgana investigation itself has yet to be finalised, particularly given the scale of scrutiny applied to the broader wind sector in the months immediately after the fire.
Authorities have not detailed which aspects of the incident are still under examination, nor whether technical, operational or compliance issues are contributing to the delay. No timeframe has been provided for when conclusions may be reached.
Under Victoria’s Electricity Safety Act 1998, wind farm owners and operators carry legal obligations relating to safety controls and bushfire risk mitigation, with serious breaches attracting penalties exceeding $1.8 million.
The Bulgana fire occurred in a landscape already recognised as highly vulnerable to bushfire, a factor that heightened community concern and ensured the incident attracted attention well beyond the renewable energy sector.
While Energy Safe conducts routine inspections of renewable energy infrastructure as part of its compliance program, the decision to inspect every wind farm in the state following the Bulgana incident underscored the seriousness with which turbine fire risk was viewed.
For regional communities living alongside large-scale renewable energy projects, the investigation’s continued status raises broader questions about how quickly incidents are fully understood and resolved as the industry expands into high-risk environments.
Energy Safe says its focus remains on completing the investigation thoroughly and determining whether any laws were breached.
As bushfire seasons grow longer and more volatile, the outcome will be closely watched, not just by industry, but by the communities that live with the infrastructure long after the flames are extinguished.
Read More: Stawell