MineArchiveWaunllwyd Colliery stable fire, 1879
On 22 September 1879 a fire broke out near the underground stables at Waunllwyd Colliery, Ebbw Vale, and three men died; one horse was brought out alive.
| Date | 22 September 1879 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Waunllwyd Colliery |
| Region | Blaenau Gwent |
| Primary type | Fire |
| Associated types | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 3 (John Jones (a fireman) and William Griffiths senior and junior (both ostlers), with sixteen horses; a colliery fatality list instead records a John Evans, fireman, dying of injuries on 23 September.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An air-door left open to clear a pocket of gas was accidentally closed by a fireman, sending the gas to the naked lights at the stables, where it ignited.
What happened
A fire broke out near the underground stables when gas, driven back to the naked lights by the closing of an air-door, ignited. Three men were killed -- John Jones, a fireman, and William Griffiths senior and junior, father and son, both ostlers -- and sixteen horses perished.
Sources
- (secondary) Waunllwyd Ebbw Vale (Welsh Coal Mines, via the Internet Archive) — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Welsh coal mine fatalities, 1879 — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 20 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026