- Author
-
Dierks, H. A.
|
Whaite, R. H.
|
Harvey, A. H.
|
Moore, B. J.
- Title
- Three Mine Fire Control Projects in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
- Coporate
- Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA
- Report
-
IC 8524
1971
60 p.
- Keywords
-
mine fires
|
fuels
- Abstract
- Work and costs involved in controlling three large fires in abandoned mines in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania are presented in detail. Three basic control techniques were successfully employed by the Bureau of Mines: (1) forming underground fire containing barriers by systematically flushing incombustible material into mine voids, (2) excavating an isolation trench around the fire area, and (3) complete excavation of hot and burning material in the fire area. When methods 2 and 3 were used, the excavations were subsequently back-filled with incombustible material. Preliminary location of fire perimeters by the standard use of patterned 6- and 7-inch-diameter boreholes is discussed. Investigations into air-borne infrared scanning, shallow subsurface thermal anomalies, and the use of helium to trace the movement of mine air currents are covered. Both costly and time consuming, boreholes have proven to be the most efficient means to data of obtaining necessary subsurface fire data. Infrared scanning was ineffective in delineating fires under more than 30 feet of cover. Helium-tracing was shown to have a good potential for determining possible hazards to adjacent residential areas from traveling mine fire gases.