▁paper ▁the ▁covered ▁them . ▁Every ▁second ▁home ▁was ▁green ▁with ▁a ▁red ▁roof ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁was ▁red ▁with ▁a ▁green ▁roof . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁mine ▁had ▁ 3 5 0 ▁miles ▁of ▁under ground ▁railway , ▁used ▁by ▁ 3 6 ▁electric ▁locomot ives , ▁and ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁ore ▁cars . ▁ ▁The ▁mine ▁was ▁so ▁big ▁that ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁it ▁had ▁almost ▁ ▁of ▁t unn els . ▁ ▁Fire ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁smoke ▁began ▁to ▁curl ▁up ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁sh aft ▁house . ▁At ▁first ▁no ▁one ▁could ▁understand ▁how ▁fire ▁could ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁a ▁hard - rock ▁mine . ▁The ▁Hol ling er ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁safety ▁inspect or , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁government ▁official , ▁but ▁they ▁had ▁not ▁visited ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁under ground ▁work ings . ▁ ▁H undred s ▁of ▁min ers ▁escaped ▁to ▁surface , ▁but ▁the ▁news ▁soon ▁spread ▁that ▁others ▁had ▁been ▁tra pped ▁on ▁the ▁ ▁level . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁m ined - out ▁stop es ▁were ▁not ▁back filled ▁with ▁waste ▁rock , ▁but ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁ ▁level ▁had ▁been ▁filled ▁over ▁the ▁years ▁with ▁min ing ▁de br is ▁such ▁as ▁pow der ▁boxes , ▁saw d ust ▁and ▁wooden ▁cr ates . ▁It ' s ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁fire ▁started ▁as ▁a