According to local newspaper the Kingsport Times-News, the overland conveyor near Norton is part of the A&G Coal complex and is known to those in the region as “The Blue Tube”
The 2am blaze was doused rapidly by the Wise Volunteer Fire Department as well as crews from nearby Norton and Coeburn.
Neither A&G nor its parent company, Roanoke-based Justice, have issued a public statement on the fire.
Additionally, the US Mine Safety and Health Administration could not be reached for more information due to the government shutdown.
A Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy spokesman said its office had no jurisdiction over the line because it was not directly connected to a coal mining operation.
