History: Burning Coal Seams

In January and February, the Sheridan Community Land Trust Discovery Session is hosting hikes to a burning coal seam in the area. In this history column we will look at some of the burning coal banks, seams and mines.

There have been several in Wyoming, as well as in other states and even in Europe.

Coal seam fires can start by several different ways, including humans, lightning strikes, and spontaneous combustion. Recently, the Short Draw Fire in Campbell County in the summer of 2024, ignited an underground coal seam, which created another wrinkle for fire fighters to contend with when trying to put out the fire. Another fire in Campbell County in 2020 was caused by a open burning coal seam.

Several of the early newspapers had stories which referred to the burning coal banks. The Buffalo Bulletin, April 19, 1894, had a story by Frank Mondell about a trip from Sheridan to the Shoshones which mentioned that along the Tongue River Road, they encountered the “fervent heat of the slow burning coal banks, which had calcined their clay summits into hard, brilliant red masses, veritable brick kilns laid and fired by Nature’s hand…”

They were even used as landmarks, like in this story from the Crook County Mointor, Sundance, on April 15, 1896. – The board (of County Commissioners) met pursuant to adjournment, all members being present. Petition presented by E.C. Hall eta al asked that a county road be established as follows: Commencingat the western portion of the Donkey creek county road at the east end of Armstrong’s ranch on Donkey creek, across Donkey creek by the CQ Crossing; thence across the B&M railroad track, thence up the south side of the I-U ranch to the Burning Coal Bank, thence north to first crossing of the B&M railroad, where it will join the present traveled road to Gillette.

The Laramie Boomerang, October 23, 1906, talked about a burning coal bank near Buffalo. – Burning Coal Mine Buffalo, Wyo., It is feared that the Munkes coal mine near this place will have to be entirely abandoned as a result of the fire which has been slowly burning there in for three years. Of late this fire has been increasing to a considerable extent although every effort has been made to check the flames.

A dozen men were overcome by smoke and gas in an attempt to erect masonry brattices about the burning area and for a time it was feared that some of them would not recover, artificial respiration being resorted to save their lives. Although completely walled in, the fire continues to emit a vast amount of heat and smoke.

This is an excerpt from a much longer story that appeared in the Sheridan Post, December 31, 1912 – Lake DeSmet – “The Legend of Lake DeSmet,” which was written by 11-year-old Olga Moore, and the Sheridan Post ran the story as a serial in their paper. According to the article, The Legend of Lake DeSmet was published just as she wrote it, without change or alteration, and is her masterpiece to date. The story will be continued in subsequent issues.

She talked about the Lake itself, and countryside around the lake.

…..Nor is this the only wonder of the red hills country. Near Lake DeSmet is a burning coal mine. The flames have long since died but smoke still rises. On a still day one can watch it smoking, smoking, ever smoking, never tiring, never dying, burning its very heart away. Many theories have been advanced as to how it caught on fire. Some say the miners were cooking dinner, and while laughing and joking, the flames spread to the utmost corners of the mine, causing the underground heroes to flee for their lives. Others claim that the catastrophe was brought about by gas escaping from a room of useless slack. Just how long it has been burning no one seems to know.

Wyoming is known for its coal mines, especially the Powder River Basin area, and where there is coal, there is a chance of a buring coal mine. Like this one mentioned in the Moorcroft Democrat June 3, 1921 – Burning Coal Mine Near Recluse. W.R. Hurtt of Recluse called at the Record office this week and informed us of the burning coal bank that he has on his ranch. The coal in that country is very thick and the quality is much harder than around Gillette, is the opinion of Mr. Hurtt. Just when the fire started and its cause is a mystery. Many in the neighborhood had been getting coal there, the mine had been carefully taken care of, and he can account for the originating of the fire only by spontaneous combustion, because it seems to be so thoroughly fired and burning with such violence. During the past week, a plot of ground 50×90 feet from under which the coal has been burned has caved in to a depth of twelve feet, and with each succeeding day the fire spreads and grows in violence. Where he has been able to make examination in the wake of the fire, the ashes are fully two feet in thickness, and the ground thoroughly heated for 30 to 40 feet in advance of the fire. ‘It is some sight,”says Mr. Hurtt, “and well worth going to see, for no man can conceive or describe the awful picture and strange feeling of seeing-the earth a molten, fiery furnace.” — Gillette Record..

Burning coal banks have been a novelty as well, as we see in this old newspaper from Laramie.

The Branding Iron, August 22, 1923

One burning coal mine was mentioned on an episode of “The Unexplained” on the History Channel. The mine was in Centralia, PA. The fire started in 1962, when members of the fire department were hired to clean up a landfill by burning it. The fire entered the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines under the town. Many methods were used to try and extinguish the fire, but none were successful. The town was abandoned, and the fire continues to burn. In 2006, it was reported that the fire is expected to keep burning for the next 250 year at least.

On January 25, 1921, this story appeared in the Douglas Enterprise, about a similar burning coal mine in Pennsylvania – There is a burning coal mine between Summltt Hill and Coldale, Pa. The fire started one morning in February 1859, when a minor entering Slope No. 1 of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation company’s mine stopped to warm his chilled fingers at a fire burning in a heap of rubbish. That fire is still burning.

Engineers, generations of them, have fought the fire and it breathed Its sulphurous breath into their faces, and went on devouring coal. The stockholders of the Lehigh company are willing to pay roundly for the services of a successful fireman, for the company certainly does want that fire put out.

Many schemes to check the fire have been tried, and the latest Is simplicity itself; that is, on paper. Taking the fuel away from the fire by means of a tunnel which will cut through the vein being consumed now is planned. When the fire arrives at the tunnel there will naturally be no coal, and no coal, no fire. It appears simple, but some of the best engineering talent in the world is busy on that tunnel, which is considered one of the most gigantic undertakings of its kind.

Other countries had burning coal banks as well.

The Crook County Monitor, June 27, 1902

Burning coal seams, a natural phenomenon that is a part of coal country.