The Bear wildfire burned over 12,000 acres in the Wasatch Plateau and ignited multiple coal fires near Helper, in Hardscrabble Canyon, and the side canyons of Spring Canyon. Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP) staff were contacted to assess and oversee the Peerless Coal Fires Project. Contractors excavated 2,100 cubic yards of burning coal in a refuse pile near the historic Peerless No. 1 mine and a coal seam between the Peerless No. 2 mine portals. Rapid response was crucial to fighting this fire since the burning coal seam connected to the old workings of the Peerless No. 2 mine and could have ignited and spread quickly into the workings. This project was successfully completed in August 2021.
The Drill Down
The Division of Oil, Gas and Mining's Quarterly Newsletter
