2 critically injured in Northern California mine shaft explosion
PLACER COUNTY — Two people suffered critical injuries in an explosion inside a Northern California mine shaft, officials said Friday.
The Foresthill Fire Protection District said it happened shortly after 9:40 a.m. at a mine shaft along Mosquito Ridge Road at Gorman Ranch Road in Placer County.
Personnel with the Foresthill district and the U.S. Forest Service located the two people outside of the mine shaft. They were then airlifted to Sutter Roseville Trauma Center.
"The people that were injured in the incident were actually workers of the mine," said Foresthill Fire Protection District Captian Greg Kirk. "This is what is called a potential hobby mine, or private mine."
Kirk said the blast was caused by static electricity in one of the hundreds of mines scattered through the gold country.
"These mines have been around for 150-plus years and they still do exist, some of them are active," Kirk said.
"There's other gasses in their like methane, and other things that are explosive gasses," said Mark Dayton, the president of the Gold Country Treasure Seekers Club.
Dayton said mining has exploded in popularity in recent years thanks in part to popular YouTube channels on underground mining.
"These top five channels have a half of a billion views," he said.
Dayton said electric tools used in mining can spark explosions, depending on the gases present inside the mine.
"While that tool is running you have an open spark in the environment and if you have an open spark and the perfect amount of oxygen and the perfect amount of methane in the air, it's an explosive environment," Dayton said.
The Foresthill fire district said the Mine Safety and Health Administration was taking the lead on the investigation. The mine will remain closed until an inspection can be done.
Sutter Roseville says the miners are still in the hospital as of Sunday night in stable condition.