Federal agency's preliminary accident report cites mechanical problem caused Jan. 27 conveyor belt fire
A federal mine inspector didn’t find any safety violations related to a fire that broke out in January at the Kinross Fort Knox Mine near Fairbanks.
That means the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA will not issue any citation for the fire, according to an MSHA official in the agency’s Anchorage office.
The fire broke out on the night of Jan. 27 on a large conveyor belt that transports rock to a crusher in the mill, where gold ore is refined. It’s one of several conveyor belts at the Fort Knox Mine, located east of Fox.
The incident sparked public interest after a video showing the fire burning the conveyor belt circulated on social media. Kinross spokesperson Meadow Riedel later confirmed that the video was authentic.
“We’re pleased that MSHA found no safety violations and issued no citations,” Riedel said in a statement released this morning. “Safety is our top priority, and we’re proud of how our team responded quickly and effectively.”
According to data posted to the MSHA website, the fire was caused by a malfunctioning bearing on one of the pulleys that support the conveyor belt. When the bearing failed, it overheated and ignited the conveyor belt.
The MSHA official in Anchorage says that information is contained in a preliminary accident report issued earlier this month. The agency is now reviewing a final report on the fire, the official said Thursday. He referred followup questions to the MSHA regional office in Vacaville, Calif.
Kinross Alaska said in a statement released the day after the fire that it was quickly detected and that the site’s fire-suppression systems extinguished it. Riedel said the company’s on-site emergency personnel responded. The company then reported the incident to MSHA.
No injuries were reported, but Riedel said Kinross halted operations at the mill for a few hours. The temporary shutdown caused what she said was “very minimal impact” to gold production at the mill.
Editor's note: This story has been updated.
