On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:44:05 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:06:12 -0700, Gunner
wrote:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle900459.ece

Meanwhile, last I looked anyway, regulations required a fire
extinguisher every 25 feet in a slate mine in Wales.

I've never seen slate ignited, but it must be nasty!

While mines existed in the past, slate in Wales is now very rarely
mined underground, it is usually quarried. Some mines have also had
their tops removed to permit open cast working.

I can only assume that the extinguishers are there because of a need
to suppress fire at source for preservation of breathing air, 25 feet
seems VERY excessive though - it's certainly never been a
requirement in UK coal mines (what little remain) although a fire in a
coal mine is a seriously *bad thing*


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