Fire.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 8 January 1915, Page 2

Fire.

A huge volume of smoke issuing from the hill behind Mr E. J. Farrell’s store on Thursday afternoon apprised the residents of Huntly South that something had happened at the Brick Company’s Coal Mine. Investigation revealed the fact that the fires which are always smouldering in the old workings of the mine had burst into life and that an old bord was for the moment converted into a raging furnace. The trouble had occurred through the accidental breaking down of a stopping. Steps were immediately taken to put the fires out, and at first it appeared that the trouble would be quelled in an hour or two but about dusk, from some unknown cause, the fire broke out with increased violence, and the sight of the flames pouring out of the hill was most impressive. Work was continued all night, a steady stream of water being kept going all the the time, and operations with the object of choking the fire being carried on continuously. By this morning, Mr Greenwell > had the satisfaction of seeing that his efforts had been successful, and that the hill had returned to its normal state. Outbreaks of this kind, but on a much smaller scale have occurred, before and probably occur again, but, apart from the loss of coal burned, they are not looked upon as serious.