WHITEHALL, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Volunteers from the Valley Volunteer Fire Department responded to a smoke investigation behind Winston Wheels and Tires in Whitehall on June 23, where they discovered an active underground coal seam fire.
Engine-122 and Engine-125 were dispatched, with Deputy Chief 12 arriving first on scene to find smoke visible behind the building.
Firefighters located a hole in the coal seam that was emitting surface temperatures of around 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Crews applied 1,100 gallons of water and five gallons of foam to the affected area in an effort to cool the surface and suppress the fire.
However, smoke began to reappear within 30 minutes.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection was on site throughout the incident and continues to monitor the fire, which remains active underground.
Valley VFD was placed back in service after a couple of hours.
