The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is investigating two recent fires at the site of the Nimbus Wind Farm in Carroll County, and Scout Clean Energy says it plans to increase security at the site.
According to a statement from Scout, the first fire was observed Friday, March 21, and the second on Sunday, March 23.
“Our teams responded quickly to both fires, and with the help of local authorities, the fires were contained and extinguished with no injuries,” Scout said in a statement. “We thank our team and local authorities for their critical response.”
Scout said local authorities were contacted and the investigations have been turned over to the forestry division. Carroll County Sheriff Daniel Klatt confirmed that forestry investigators were looking into the cause of the fires.
“While we await the official results of the investigation, we would like to make clear in no uncertain terms: Any attempts to start a fire on the project site will be prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law,” Scout’s statement said. “Beyond damage to the natural environment and privately-owned land, arson threatens the lives of our workers, our landowners, and the greater community here in Carroll County. With the safety of the community and our workers as the top priority, we will be stepping up security measures across the site.”
Scout’s senior director of safety, John Boyle, said both fires occurred on private land west of County Road 905 within the project site, with less than a quarter mile separating the respective ignition points.
“Given the ongoing investigation by the State’s Department of Agriculture and the potential criminal conduct involved, we are not providing exact details related to the investigation at this point,” Boyle said. “We can provide the following information: Both incidents were similar in nature and proximity and occurred within 48 hours of each other. There was neither construction equipment nor construction work being done in either area. There were no relevant environmental events like lightning that could have served as catalysts.”
