Vic: Coal mine fire continues to burn

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2005
Vic: Coal mine fire continues to burn

MELBOURNE, Dec 31 AAP - Firefighters are having difficulty accessing a blaze at a coal
mine in Victoria's Latrobe Valley.

About 90 Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighters and workers from the Hazelwood power
plant worked through the night but failed to extinguish the fire at the Morwell open cut
brown coal mine, 130 kilometres south east of Melbourne.

CFA spokeswoman Adele Buhagiar said the workers were still at the scene as the fire
which began late yesterday continued to burn on a coalface about 200 metres long and 100
metres deep.

Smoke from the fire blanketed the Latrobe Valley but there was no threat to Victoria's
power supply, Ms Buhagiar said.

She said firefighters were wetting down the area to contain the fire but poor access
meant there was little opportunity to extinguish the blaze.

Meanwhile the CFA has contained fires at Avenel, north east of Melbourne, and at Stradbroke,
near Sale, and was on high alert across the state.

A total fire ban remains in force in all areas of Victoria but the eastern region,
covering Gippsland, until 4am (AEDT) tomorrow with strong winds and searing temperatures
forecast in most areas across the state.

AAP jmw/lma

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC MINE

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