The fact that fires occur with an alarming regularity in the mining industry reinforces the importance of recognizing and eliminating the potential hazards in both underground and surface operations, power plants and monitoring of all mining equipment. The overall need for fire control and suppression technology should ensure the best possible outcome during a mine fire. Mine fires remain a serious threat to the health and safety of miners in metal and nonmetal (M/NM) operations. For example, a few years ago, three mobile equipment fires were reported with one miner dying and another one injured. The subsequent Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) identified that the likely cause of the fire leading to the fatality was a steering hose rupture on the haul truck, causing hydraulic fluid under high pressure to spray onto the hot surface of the engine, resulting in a fast-growing fire. Most of the reportable mine equipment fires involve similar circumstances.
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