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UPDATE 2:45 p.m. It has been confirmed that the fire started in the long mine section and spread to the gob area. Mine rescue team and mine fire brigade were on site for hours working to contain the fire, after which different mitigation measures were applied.
As of early this afternoon, the fire is still ongoing. According to Andy Malinoski, spokesperson for the WV Office of Miners' Health and Safety training, the investigation into the cause of the fire will take place as soon as it is safe to do so, after which more information will be provided to the public.
Barbour County Office of Emergency Management representative has stated that there is no immediate threat to local residents, and that the incident is contained solely to Leer South mine complex.
9:30 a.m. Early this morning, around 1 a.m., fire was reported in, allegedly, the gob area of the Arch Coal Leer South mining complex. Gob is generally referred to the space that is left in the mine after the coal has been extracted, and the area is filled with the waste, which is a mixture of coal, clay, rock, and other materials.
At the time, all the miners were evacuated and the mine rescue team and fire brigade were sent in. The team has been fighting the fire all through the night, and according to the reports, the fire is still ongoing as of 9:30 a.m. and the gob area is being pumped full of water as they are trying to continue to fight it as of Monday morning. There has been no report on what the next steps are. Morning shift that reported for work at 7 a.m. was also sent home, and all mining operations are temporarily halted and mine is closed until further notice.
Barbour County Office of Emergency Management was not notified of the incident at the time, although the mines have their own award-winning emergency protocols that have been put in place as soon as incident occurred. No injuries have been reported.
The staff of the Barbour Buzz will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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