Aracoma Alma Mine accident facts for kids

The Aracoma Alma Mine accident was a serious event that happened on January 19, 2006. A fire started deep inside the Aracoma Alma Mine No. 1 in Melville, West Virginia. This fire caused smoke to fill parts of the mine. Sadly, two miners died because of the smoke. This accident brought a lot of attention to important safety rules in coal mines.

What Happened?

The Fire Underground

On January 19, 2006, a fire began on a conveyor belt inside the Aracoma Alma Mine No. 1. This mine is located in Melville, Logan County, West Virginia. The fire created a lot of smoke. This smoke then spread through openings in the mine walls. It went into the fresh air tunnels that miners were supposed to use to escape.

The Victims

The thick smoke made it very hard to see. Two miners, Ellery Hatfield (47) and Don Bragg (33), got separated from their group. They died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which is a dangerous gas from fires. Ten other miners from their crew managed to hold hands. They carefully moved through the smoky air intake tunnel and made it out safely.

Why Did It Happen?

At the time of the fire, the mine was owned by Aracoma Coal Company, Inc. This company was connected to Massey Energy.

Missing Safety Walls

After the accident, investigators from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) looked into what happened. They found that two important walls were missing in the mine. These walls were about 18 feet (5.5 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) high. If these walls had been in place, they would have stopped the smoke. They would have kept the smoke from the conveyor belt fire out of the fresh air tunnels.

Instead, the smoke went into the fresh air tunnel. This tunnel also served as the escape route for miners. The smoke made it impossible for the two miners to find their way out. This is why they got lost and sadly died. MSHA then told other mines to check for any missing walls.

Mine Safety in the News

This accident happened shortly after another big mine disaster. That was the Sago Mine disaster, which occurred earlier in the same month. Both events made people think more about mine safety across the country.

What Changed After?

Company Actions and Fines

On January 15, 2009, the Charleston Gazette reported on the accident's legal outcomes. The families of the miners who died wanted to make sure safety was taken seriously. Massey Energy, the company connected to the mine, had to pay a large fine. It was $2.5 million for breaking safety rules. This was one of the biggest fines ever for a mine safety violation. The company also had to pay $1.7 million in other fines.

Foremen's Responsibilities

Later, in July 2010, four foremen from the mine pleaded guilty to federal charges. These foremen were Michael Plumley, Donald Hagy Jr., Edward Ellis Jr., and Terry Shadd. They admitted they did not do "escapeway drills" as required. Escapeway drills are practice runs. They teach miners how to get out safely in an emergency. Each foreman was sentenced to one year of probation and had to pay a fine.

Helping Families and Future Safety

On July 11, 2014, the families of Don Israel Bragg and Ellery Hatfield reached an agreement with the U.S. government. They received $1 million. More importantly, the agreement included steps to improve mine safety for everyone.

• The MSHA agreed to share information from their investigations.
• They also agreed to share news about new safety laws.
• MSHA promised to create a new training course. This course would teach miners about fire prevention and how to escape fires in mines. The families of the victims would be honored guests at the first class. The course would remember the Aracoma fire victims. It would show how proper training can save lives.
• Finally, MSHA agreed to place a special plaque. This plaque would honor Don Bragg and Ellery Hatfield. It would be at the Firefighting Training Pad at the National Mine Academy. This will help everyone remember their sacrifice and the importance of safety.