Giant blade breaks off Mass. wind turbine

A blade detached from a 300-foot wind turbine and fell into a cranberry bog off Head of the Bay Road in Plymouth on Friday, according to police.

The incident was reported just before 2 p.m., when a concerned neighbor called police after noticing that one of the three blades on a nearby turbine was missing.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and found the detached wind turbine blade several hundred feet from the turbine’s base, resting in an open cranberry bog. The blade measured approximately 75 to 100 feet in length, police said.

No injuries were reported, and officials confirmed there is no danger to the public. The turbine is located in the area of 810 Head of the Bay Road, a remote location surrounded by cranberry bogs.

Firefighters assessed the site and found no additional hazards.

Police said the maintenance company responsible for the turbine arrived at the scene and inspected the equipment. Crews determined that the turbine went into a “fail-safe mode” and shut down as soon as the blade detached.

Officials secured the area, removed the damaged blade, and cleaned up the site. The incident remains under investigation.

“We were fortunate that this turbine is located out in the middle of the cranberry bogs and not in a residential area,” said Plymouth Police Chief Neil Foley. “Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the turbine automatically shut itself down as designed. As we continue to investigate, MassDEP and Inspectional Services will now do their due diligence to ensure this incident is addressed appropriately and the impacted area is cleaned up safely.”

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.