Causes and Hazards
Coal fires pose one of the biggest concerns and challenges to the coal mining industry, local residence in mining areas, eco-friendly community, researchers and decision/policy makers, alike. The causes and hazards of coal fires are many.
Causes:
- Spontaneous combustion
- Contact of hot debris with coal outcrop
- Travel of fire from neighbouring mine
- Lightening
- Forest/bush fires
- Mining subsidence
- Frictional heat from machinery
- Loose electric cables, domestic fires, negligent acts etc.
- Lighting fires in abandoned underground mines for heating, distilling alcohol etc.
Hazards:
- Burns away non-renewable coal resources
- Hinder economic exploitation of coal
- Produce large quantities of greenhouse gases
- Health hazards to local inhabitants
- Pose danger to man and machine
- Engulf surface features such as buildings, transportation network etc.
- Environmental pollution (air, water and soil)
- Land subsidence (when present in underground)
- Financial loss
