The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration continues to work on a fire underground at the Blacksville No. 2 Mine in Monongalia County
The large CONSOL operation had to be evacuated earlier this week when smoke started coming out of an airshaft. During the last few days, MSHA and company officials have been working to find the location of the blaze.
On Friday, MSHA said five boreholes had been drilled into the mine. Cameras have been lowered into the bore holes and smoke detected at varying levels. MSHA believes one bore hole is near the fire; temperatures registered at more than 100 degrees in the area.
In a statement, MSHA also said that 1,210,440 gallons of water have been pumped into the mine with an average of 125,000 gallons of water per shift.
CONSOL, the UMWA, state regulators, and MSHA are all maintaining a presence at the mine and working together at the mine.
Work at the mine was halted last Tuesday.
