Odor and smoke have been wafting from a hole in Fayette County for months
FAIRCHANCE, Pa. (KDKA) — A strong odor of sulfur is plaguing the borough of Fairchance in Fayette County. It's coming from a hole that sits over a mine, and residents say they're concerned about potential hazards.
People in the area say they want answers about the hole, which has been billowing smoke for months.
Neighbors say it started about four months ago when the property owner burned a tree stump. Fast forward to today, and it's still smoldering and the pungent sulfur smell is ever present.
"Went on vacation, came home and it was smoking and it's been a couple of months," said Derrick Moss, who lives next door.
Moss says he and his neighbors weren't concerned at first, but then they learned that the old Kyle Mine is located underneath.
"What I'm worried about is the actual mine is going to get caught on fire and everything around here is going to burn up," said neighbor Edward Hixon.
Borough officials say they've reached out to all the right people to get the situation rectified, including an engineer for maps of the local mines in the area as well as the Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP visited the site earlier this week and is expected to return on Wednesday.
"This is the first time it's ever happened. I've been here all my life ... We never had anything like that," said Mayor Thomas Tanner.
The mayor urges borough residents to stay away from this area for their own safety.
