History of fires at blaze-hit mine

FIRES are extremely common in the ­Latrobe Valley coalmine that burned for 45 days in February and March.

FIRES are extremely common in the ­Latrobe Valley coalmine that burned for 45 days in February and March, with about 100 small ­blazes occurring each year, the ­independent inquiry into the ­Hazelwood fire has heard.

The inquiry heard yesterday that the February blaze was one of five major fires at the open-cut coalmine in the past decade, highlighting the potential for outbreaks. The fire started on February 9 and burned until late March, forcing evacuations from nearby Morwell and widespread criticism of the emergency response, particularly in relation to long-term health risks.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Melinda Richards, said many fires in the mine in recent years had been ignited from within the mine and that fires in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2012 had been officially examined.

“Each of these fires was the subject of review, which made recommendations,” Ms Richards told the inquiry. “They were all ignited from sources inside the mine. Fire is a commonplace event in an open-cut coalmine.”

Ms Richards said the latest fire, which covered the district 200km east of Melbourne in a fog of smoke for weeks, had been ignited in a disused area of the mine. She said it was widely understood that fire was a serious risk with coalmining but that the ­region, which has been a key source of Victorian and national power, had borne the safety risks associated with the coal-fired ­generation.

“The risk of fires in the Latrobe Valley mines has been squarely recognised for four decades,” Ms Richards said. “The burdens have fallen disproportionately on those who live and work in the Latrobe Valley.”

The inquiry is being headed by former Supreme Court judge Bernard Teague, who sat on the Black Saturday bushfire royal commission. It will focus on what caused this year’s fire, the health impli­cations for people in Morwell and how a repeat of the fire could be prevented or the risks mitigated.

The inquiry also heard yesterday that there had been a delay in sending firefighting aircraft to the scene because of the fire risk in other parts of the state.