Michael Colliery Fire, 9th September 1967 Plan 2

Fifeshire, 9th September 1967. Report number Cmnd 3657.9 dead with 3 entombed for eternity.

I find that, in accordance with the medical evidence, the men died from asphyxia by gases produced by a fire which occurred at about 3.30 a.m. in a road known as the Loader Mine. Because the affected areas of the colliery working were sealed off in an attempt to contain the fire, a post-incident examination of the area was not possible. The evidence given at the Inquiry was, however, sufficient to lead me to the conclusion that the fire was caused by coal, ignited by spontaneous combustion, bursting out into the Loader Mine where it ignited first part of the polyurethane lining of the roadway and then the belt of the conveyor sited therein. The resulting fire then involved other inflammable material such as coal and wood in the Loader Mine and the Loco Level. The evidence clearly indicated that the fire produced vast quantities of black smoke which issued, with little preliminary warning by haze or smell, into the intake airways, thereby affecting every district of the colliery. All the men in the No. 2 Pit workings escaped, none suffering serious injury, but nine men working in the No. 3 Pit area were unfortunately overcome by the smoke; the bodies of six were recovered.

The sinking of Nos. 1 and 2 Shafts, both rectangular in cross section and wood lined, was begun in 1892 and reached the Chemiss Seam at a depth of 136 fathoms in 1898. The No. 3 Shaft, 24 feet in diameter and concrete lined, was sunk to the present pit bottom at a depth of 300 fathoms in 1928. More recently the No. 2 Shaft was enlarged to 20 feet in diameter, concrete lined and extended down to 430 fathoms. In 1944, No. 1 Pit was completely filled in and the two remaining shafts were used for winding coal, No. 3 serving as the downcast and No. 2 as the upcast. Safety lamps were in use throughout the mine.

Report by H.S. Stephenson Chief HMI

Plan scanned and pieced together to remake a copy of the original taken from my collection of disaster reports