Smoke alert for community as Grosvenor fire fight continues

A smoke alert has been issued for the Moranbah community as efforts continue to extinguish an underground fire at the Grosvenor coal mine. Isaac Regional Council broadcast a warning on the expected impact this afternoon, urging people to stay inside and close windows and doors in the event of smoke in the area, to keep respiratory medication close by and avoid driving through smoke. Mine owner Anglo American said the company was continuing to manage the combustion event underground at Grosvenor following a localised ignition at the longwall on Saturday. Related: Anglo outlines response after ‘combustion event’ "Our priority is to safely extinguish the underground fire, which emergency response teams are managing from the surface," the company said in a public statement. The scene at the mine yesterday. "We are actively managing and monitoring the smoke released from the mine’s ventilation shafts and appreciate it may be causing concerns for Moranbah residents. "Work has started to temporarily seal the mine from the surface, which is a critical step in stopping the smoke. "Due to the highly complex and evolving nature of this event, this will take time as we need to ensure the safety of all emergency teams undertaking this work. Our focus is ensuring a safe working environment for those assisting us with this response." Workers on shift when the fire began were safely evacuated from the Grosvenor coal mine on Saturday morning. Those employees not involved in the fire response have been placed on full pay for the next week as the company comes to grips with the situation. The metallurgical coal mine was the scene of a horrific accident in May 2020, in which five coal mine workers were seriously injured in an underground gas explosion. Isaac Region Mayor Kelly Vea Vea said many people were feeling the impacts of the events at Grosvenor mine. Isaac Region Mayor Kelly Vea Vea. "Workers are feeling uncertain about their future and some who experienced the events of 2020 are extremely triggered," she said. "Underground mine workers are a tight knit bunch and, while thankfully no one was hurt, the sense of loss is still great with the decision to seal Grosvenor mine. "We will continue stay in close communication with Anglo American throughout this process to ensure workers, families and our communities are supported." Anglo said environmental health specialists and data from air quality monitoring, including DESI sensors, were helping to assess the situation and understand any potential impacts to public health. "We expect smoke will continue for a number of days, and we will provide regular updates as this situation progresses," the company stated. "Members of our senior leadership team have joined the local Moranbah response team to support the situation on the ground to ensure we can respond as rapidly and effectively as possible to this evolving situation. "We appreciate the ongoing work of the team at the site, including QMRS and its mobile extinguisher unit (GAG), RSHQ, and union representatives."

Smoke alert for community as Grosvenor fire fight continues

Industry Queensland

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