Editor’s Note: This story would not be possible without the help of the Emery Archives and its Director Suzanne Anderson, whose insight and knowledge of the Wilberg Mine Fire proved to be invaluable to the story.

40 years ago, the Castle Country area experienced one of its greatest tragedies, as a fire erupted in the Wilberg Mine 12 miles away from Orangeville, an event that took the lives of 18 miners and nine company officials. But what led to this? How did the community respond? And what kind of legacy has this disaster left on the Castle Country and the nation as a whole?

On Dec. 19, 1984, miners entered the Wilberg as usual, ready for a long day of work. Crisscrossing throughout the mines were conveyor belts lifted at times 20 feet above the ground, working to transport coal and material in and out of the mine. These belts were responsible for carrying 20-30 tons of coal a day from the mines.

Production was at an all-time high, as the Emery Mining Corporation and the Utah Power and Light Company were bringing in extra people to work the mine as progress was being made so quickly. This dedicated and speedy work did create a problem however; a safety oversight and a faulty air compressor which was left running unattended for 69 hours self-combusted, filling the tunnels of the Wilberg with toxic fumes and creating a fire that quickly spread. 

The fire started 5,000 feet into the mine, with 28 workers an additional 3,000 feet past that. One miner, Kenneth Blake was able to navigate the smoke-filled tunnels, avoid flames, and escape the disaster. In the documentary, “Remember Wilberg,” Blake recounts his escape,” God knows I should be the one man to get out alive,” adding,” I had to get out for the sake of my kids, I just had to.

Almost immediately following the outbreak of the fire, the call was put out to rescuers,” There’s been a fire, people are trapped, you need to get here now.” 

Rescue efforts followed soon after, with crews working to establish fresh air bases in areas near the flames that had poor atmospheric conditions. In a situation where most men would give up and assume the worst, these brave teams of rescuers operated on one simple principle: Assume they are alive and work to rescue them until we know otherwise.

The conditions facing the rescuers were brutal, with it being described by one crew member as,” going into what you might think hell is like.” That description might be generous, as crews battled extreme heat conditions which caused protective gear to melt and forced firefighters to wear wet rags around their hands as they fought back the flames in order to avoid severe steam burns.

Other rescuers attempted to navigate the mine, trying to find the 27 trapped. Both groups ran into an additional problem, where under breathing apparatus rescuers would have only four hours of oxygen. 

One rescuer described the three-day affair as,” running on adrenaline the whole time, we didn’t want to quit.” The rescuers also discovered the terrible truth in the early morning of Dec. 21, when they located the first nine bodies of the victims. “Seeing what you were in and seeing what we were in, you knew they weren’t coming out alive,” explained one rescuer. Seven more bodies were then found when crews advanced through the long wall face. “I don’t think they had a chance at all,” recounts a crew member,” they didn’t have time to put on a rescuer or anything like that.” Four more bodies were found that day further back near a horizontal shaft.

The next day, on Dec. 22, 12 more bodies were found, but initial recovery efforts were halted when the fire advanced to the fresh air base, forcing an evacuation of the mine. Many rescue crew members did not want to leave the mine but realized that if they did not evacuate, then they too would be trapped.

Outside the mine, the media circus was in a frenzy, as reporters swarmed mine officials, family members, and anyone who was capable of talking as they hunted for quotes and information. Several letters were written to editors of the state’s major news organization. “I am writing in regards to your coverage of the Willberg mine accident. Many here in Emery County feel as I do, that you have been very cold and inhumane with your unintelligent questions asked of the wives who were waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones,” wrote Jan Hess in a letter KUTV News published in the Emery County Progress.

One commenter sounded a similar sentiment,” Outside, crowding the streets, and the main entrance to the school were news reporters, and they were so rude to my friends and neighbors trying to get grieving families to tell them what it was like.   I remember my best friend and I loudly telling reporters to leave them alone. “

At 6 a.m. on Dec. 23, mine officials decided to seal off the mine in an attempt to suffocate the fire. In the process, the bodies of the victims were also sealed away. Law enforcement and other first responders had to shut off power to the explosion potential the mine held, especially with the added factor of the various gasses being released by the flames as well as shutting down fans which were providing a constant airflow for the fire. This however did not solve the problem, as a backup generator kicked in and restarted the fans. With the generator inaccessible through regular means, Deputy Sheriff Don Lara and Craig Bingham had to get to a vantage point, utilizing a helicopter, where they could then shoot the generator to shut it down. By some miracle, the generator did not explode. 

Outside of the immediate area, the community was devastated, during the early stages of the fire the Castle Country Area united together to raise money for the families of the victims. “December was never the same,” explained one family member,” It haunts me,” said another.

Following the tragedy, the Mine Safety and Health Administration performed an investigation into the fire, where they confirmed that it was the faulty air compressor that set up the disaster. Emery County Mining Corporation initially disputed this, but this dispute fell on deaf ears. The MSHA fined EMC $113,944 for mine safety violations. In addition to this, the victim’s families filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Utah Power and Light Company, which was settled out of court for $22 million.

Self-proclaimed socialist newspaper ‘The Militant’ in their Jan. 11 issue ran the headline,” Company greed killed coal miners in Utah,” explaining that they believed that Emery County Mining Corporation had concealed facts and had violated the law by not holding fire drills or emergency response training outside of how to put on a self-rescue unit.

On Feb. 13, 1985, reentry and reclamation operations began, over the next four months rescue groups attempted to reclaim the bodies, but had their progress impeded by roof falls and other adverse conditions. On June 4, 1985, the plan was abandoned and recovery operations approached from a different angle.

It took nearly a year for all the bodies to be reclaimed, with the final two victims being discovered on Dec. 16, 1985. The total reclamation time took 11 months and 28 days from the start of the fire. All victims died from smoke and soot inhalation.

Did anything change as a result of this fire? Luckily yes, as it is now federally mandated that mines have ‘rescue lines’ for miners to follow out of shafts in case of emergency. 

It is important that we remember the past so as to not repeat it. It is also important that we remember those lost, and carry their memories with us. Today and forever, we honor the 27 victims of the Wilberg Mine disaster and the everlasting legacy they have on Carbon and Emery County.

In loving memory of:

Philip Bell, Bert Bennett, James Bertuzzi, David Bocook, Ricci Camberlango, Curtis Carter, Robert Christensen, Vic Cingolani, Gordon Conover, Randy Curry, Owen Curtis, Roger Glenn Ellis, Jame Hamlin, Leroy Hersh, Brian Howard, Barry Jacobs, Gary Jennings, Lee Johansen, Joel Nevitt, Alex Poulos, Kelly Riddle, Ray Snow, Lynn Robinson, John Waldoch, Lester Walls Jr., Nanette Wheeler and John Wilsey