A fire at Nutrien Ltd.’s Allan potash mine in Saskatchewan early on May 14 confined 63 workers to underground refuge stations for several hours. Operations at the mine were suspended on May 14 but resumed on May 15, according to a Nutrien spokesperson. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
According to local press, the blaze broke out sometime after midnight, forcing the miners to evacuate to underground shelters while Nutrien’s emergency response crews worked to extinguish the fire. The miners were brought to the surface at about 7:45 a.m., with no injuries reported. No additional assistance was required from the local volunteer fire department.
CTV News reported that one of the trapped miners said crews were alerted to the problem by “stench gas,” which produces a sulfur smell and is released throughout the mine when there is an emergency. Crews then quickly moved to refuge stations, which are set up throughout the mine. The miner said workers receive extensive training on emergency procedures.
The Allan mine is one of six potash mines that Nutrien operates in Saskatchewan. Total nameplate production capacity at the mine is 4 million mt/y, while current operational capacity is 2 million mt/y.
Back in December 2016 (GM Dec. 23, 2016), approximately 114 workers at the Allan mine were forced to shelter in underground refuge stations for 6-9 hours after a scoop loader caught fire. Two years earlier (GM Sept. 22, 2014) in September 2014, smoke from a vehicle fire trapped 96 workers in underground stations at the mine, with 54 of those forced to remain sheltered until the following day. Neither fire resulted in injuries, although the mine remained offline for five days in 2014.