That’s what I was thinking!

Looks hot enough to forge with.

Thanks for posting this. I never knew such things existed but it makes sense.

Thanks for posting this, I grew up in that country and have never seen anything like that. I’ll have to do some looking next time I’m back.

I remember the mine fires around Scranton when I was a kid. I would travel to Scranton with my grandparents and see the steam coming out of the ground. On one trip, the Big Chief grocery store was gone! The coal burned beneath the store and the building collapsed in the void.

The one is WV up near Clarksburg has been burning for over 55 years. I do not think it will ever burn out. Now you know why they have such strict laws and MSHA now.

The Dakotas, Wy and MT all have burning underground coal seams. Here is a great article on them. I just read about it and in the article, it said ND had about 50 of them put out about 10 years ago.
https://montanafreepress.org/2022/08/05/tracking-eastern-montanas-silent-firestarters/

Yes we have lots of scoria and lots of red shale.

The bad part about having the burning coal seams is that eventually they get to a tree root or the wind hits them just right and you have a wildfire. If it gets over 90 degrees and the wind blows your better have your head on a swivel looking for smoke.
Since that country burned in 17 we have had seven fires from burning coal seams reaching the surface.
It is rough country so bombers and smoke jumpers and the order of the day.

Seen one near Casper, Wyoming a few years ago. Seam opened up and sparked a wildlife. While working the fire I came across where it was burning out of the ground and how all the ground was sinking in about an acre around it. Was pretty cool seeing it and could smell the coal from a long ways off.

One thing about it you don't have to go far to reheat a meal for yourself when out checking you're line .

When I worked at Cabalo coal mine near Gillette the high wall ( coal ) had a smoldering fire or two all the time , we kept a close eye on them and the bubbling water puddles were Methane gas more fun stuff .

I grew up in coal country and this brings back the fear of living close to the mines. Had an uncle at Jim Walter #3 when it caught fire in the eighties. Knew some of the guys at Jim Walter # 5 when it exploded.

https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/jimwalter.htm

Coal mines have to be careful with their stockpiles outside the mine. If you have a large pile of coal, particularly if it’s dirty ( high ash), wet, that has been sitting there awhile and is higher in sulfur content….it will get hot. Hot, like catching on fire. The coal will oxidize, ( a form of spontaneous combustion ) and you’ll see it steaming. Dig into a pile of it with a loader, exposing it to air…it will sometimes it will burst into flames. I’ve seen loader operators scrambling to get their machine out of the coal pile…one big hot smoky mess.

It helps to keep coal piles compacted as much as possible. Sometimes spray the pile with latex ( that helps in keeping blowing dust suppressed too )

The power plants around here always have loaders working the coal piles. I have been told it was to keep them from catching on fire.

I saw a TV show on that...
unreal....Sad but true

thanks for sharing , cool read,

I went there once, it's weird seeing smoke come out of the ground.

I was there too hippie. Back in the 70's we used to drive through on our way to camp. All the houses were still there back then. There were a bunch of vent pipes everywhere blowing smoke.

Eventually they shut down that stretch of RT 61 and it became the Graffiti Highway.

Now we know what's causing global warming.

MT you didn’t happen to see any old sign of Jimmy Hoffa near that blast furnace?

Osky