Coal seam fires in Morwell

[[DRuG]NikT]

I don't know if any of you have ever read up on when a coal seam catches fire... but it's a damn nasty problem - they smoulder underground, potentially, for centuries, yes, hundreds of years, following... as they become much like a candle.

The consequence is ongoing bushfires every dry season, as parts of the underground smouldering find their way to the surface again, usually in fields or the depths of national forests. This is what happens is outback of Newcastle every year, as they have a fire currently burning that's been going for a few hundred years already.

See below for a new coal fire that's just started outside of Morwell in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia.




This is a topic I have been captivated by for quite some time - coal fires are a lot more complex than they appear on the surface - literally... they smoulder underground for centuries after, raising bushfires every summer and impossible to put out. A lot like an ash tray with a lot of paper in it, but surrounded by dirt - there's one in central NSW responsible for our "fire season" each year..

Still not understanding why this is so interesting? Read below... the link should infer it aint just me...

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=479

[[SiK]Grim_Reeper]

Wow didn't know that, n1 ;o