Pocono News Section

Coal Breaker Burns Down in Northumberland County

Coal Breaker Burns Down in Northumberland County - Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 5:08PM EST

Reported by: Lorena Beniquez
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 @05:08pm EST

WEIGHSCALES, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY - Eyewitnesses say flames from the Split Vein Coal Company could be seen six miles away. The fire in Weighscales burned out of control for two and a half hours destroying a five story coal breaker and additional buildings. "The breaker is approximately seventy years old. We had coal, coal dust and fuel all over the place," said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Dluge with the Elysburg Fire Department. Those elements combined with wind helped fuel the fire. "The radiant heat from the fire extremely great and you could feel it over a tenth of a mile away," added Dluge.

The flames did spark a brush fire behind the breaker which alarmed a business owner across the street with fuel tanks. "We operate a gas station here and it's only across the highway and it gave me some concern," said Thomas Duke, owner of the Duke Oil Company. Duke will miss the coal breaker where he worked in the 1960's. Duke said, "This was probably the last of the old breakers in our area. Right now, I don't know of any other ones that age that are still up and running."

Fire officials say nobody was hurt in the fire. The cause is undetermined, as well as, the amount of damage done.

Duke said, "Our town was built on the coal industry. Unfortunately, we have very little left."