Federal and state mining investigators were on-hand as coal stored in a local silo caught fire Monday morning.

Matewan Fire Chief Kenneth Cox said the fire started around 8:30 a.m. in a coal silo at Sprouse Creek Mining outside of Matewan. All three fire trucks from Matewan Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene with one from Williamson Fire Department arriving later in the day and one from the Belfry Volunteer Fire Department across the river lending a hand in the afternoon.

Cox said the investigators were trying to figure out the best way to extinguish the fire. He said earlier the investigators had stopped his men from spraying water on the flames due to a possibility of the silo exploding.

When the Daily News arrived, Cox said firemen were dropping rock dust down from the top of the silo to see if any escaped from the bottom. If the men witnessed any dust coming from the bottom of the silo then, Cox said, water could be used to put out the fire. By 6 p.m. Monday evening the chief had not seen any rock dust escaping from the silo.

The chief did not foresee the fire being brought under control anytime soon and said he knew of an instance when the fire “just had to burn itself out” in a similar situation.

Cox said the cause of fire is not yet known at this time.