Production at the Lucky Friday mine, in Idaho, has come to a halt, after a fall-of-ground incident caused an underground fire, silver miner Hecla Mining reported on Monday.
The incident occurred in the mine’s number two shaft – a secondary egress – at an unused station that was under repair.
While a full inspection has not occurred, Hecla reported that the failure appeared to be caused by a fire. No personnel were in the mine at the time of the failure.
“Steps are being taken to ensure the fire is extinguished before normal ventilation is re-established,” Hecla said.
The firm noted that the fire was contained and under control.
The incident occurred about 150 m from the bottom of the active portion of the shaft and would impact on production and the cost guidance for the mine.
Lucky Friday's guidance for 2023 is to produce between 4.5-million and 5-million ounces of silver at an all-in sustaining cost of $11.5/oz to $13/oz.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration has been notified of the incident.