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February 27, 2014

Coal Mine Fire in Australia Could Burn for Months 
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Authorities in Australia say a massive fire at an open-pit coal mine
could continue to burn for months. The fire has already burned for two
weeks, enveloping the town of Morwell in the state of Victoria with
thick, toxic smoke. Victoria's chief health officer, Rosemary Lester,
spoke Wednesday.

Dr. Rosemary Lester: "Our priority at the moment is to concentrate on
the short term health effects that we know that the smoke can cause. We
know that the fine particles in the smoke can get down into the lungs
and that can cause short term health effects like exacerbation of
asthma, worsening of heart or other lung conditions and we know that the
people who are most vulnerable to these effects are people with
pre-existing heart and lung conditions, children, the elderly, smokers
and pregnant women."

 

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