We Have Ignition

Incident Observation Report: EW 14th December 188*

North Fells

Being aware of my cousin Dee’s struggles with breathing concerns and her fledgling efforts to positively influence air pollution difficulties within the city—ridiculed though they have been—I was alarmed to discover that there was a coal seam fire consuming a test extraction shaft system in the North Fells, evidently the very test site one of Dee’s newspapers was investigating for legal impropriety. I knew I had to get more information before Dee got wind of it ((please don’t PUNish me for that one)).

Stumbling upon Beryl after the Steam Santa Ball I enquired directly about knowledge of the incident, and was led at once to the site itself.

Arriving on the scene of the subterranean conflagration and carefully entering the shaft for a moment, we could see little beyond the flames themselves, and surprisingly hot, clean smoke (possibly indicating either a very clean grade of coal or other fuels involved). It was difficult to tell whether the seam crossed the shaft—meaning that it might burn out quickly—or ran the length of it requiring it to be sealed to choke combustion.

We both ran outside immediately, having learnt little. The only thing I could be sure of was that it would be vital to keep Dee away from this for her own safety on many counts.

EW