Aux fan fuse blown, repalced, now fan is smoking
 

2002 X5 4.4, 145k miles.

The aux fan stopped working (I found out when I noticed poor A/C while idling).

I tried giving 12v to the fan to test it, no luck. The wires sparked a bit more then I expected when I contacted them to the battery terminals, so I didn't hold it there for more then a second or two.

Checked for 12v at the connector, from the car side of the plug, also no luck. Checked fuse 61, it was blown. Replaced fuse 61, reconnected fan, and it immediately started spewing out so much smoke that I actually grabbed the extinguisher because I thought it was on fire. The fuse didn't blow so I yanked it back out right away.

The fan isn't seized, the blades still spin pretty freely. Is this really a normal mode of failure for the fan, and I just need a replacement, or is there something else going on?