Marathon Vic coal mine fire extinguished
Marathon Vic coal mine fire extinguished
26 March 2014
published by http://coal.steelguru.com
Australia — SBS reported that a marathon Victorian coal mine blaze has finally been extinguished, 45 days after a bushfire ignited brown coal inside the mine. But while the fire itself is out, firefighters will remain on the scene to monitor hot spots.
Mr Craig Lapsley Fire Services Commissioner said that The fire has raged since February 9 when a bushfire that began in nearby farming country spread into the open cut mine, which feeds the Hazelwood power station. The nearby town of Morwell was choked with acrid smoke for weeks as the fire burned on a disused batter at the north end of the mine, sparking health concerns and forcing some residents to leave.
Mr Lapsley said that There is no danger that the fire will spread further or will cause any further problems in Morwell. It’s been a huge event. It’s been a huge to Morwell and we always say that the biggest concern was the impact on the Morwell community, but we certainly had some issues with the complexity about how we have had to manage firefighters and the mine’s people over that period.
He said that “It has been a very complex fire, something the world has watched and something that has challenged us, but we have come through. We would put this fire out and we have been successful in achieving that. Firefighters will remain to tend to hot spots. There will be continued works with CFA and the mine to make sure that there are no other hot spots that might occur over the next period.”
