Investigation underway after fire destroys $18m excavator at Kalgoorlie Super Pit

A fire has destroyed the driver's cab of a $18 million excavator at Kalgoorlie's Super Pit gold mine, prompting an investigation by WorkSafe WA. The incident occurred last Wednesday during the night shift while the 750-tonne Komatsu PC8000 shovel was working in the Oroya Brownhill section of the mine.

No one was injured in the incident, according to the mine's owner, Northern Star Resources. The cause of the fire has not been disclosed at this stage.

A Northern Star spokesperson said the mine operator, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM), immediately activated its emergency response team, which extinguished the fire. The spokesperson said:

"KCGM has initiated contingency plans to cover for the damaged excavator, which in any event was due to be retired in November 2026 and replaced by a new excavator."

The spokesperson added:

"In line with our normal processes, the KCGM team is carrying out a thorough assessment of the incident so that we can apply learnings, strengthen our processes and continue safe and reliable operations."

WorkSafe WA said it was aware of the incident and was investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire.

The damaged machine is one of four PC8000 shovels in the open pit fleet at the Super Pit. According to Northern Star, the PC8000 is one of the biggest mechanical shovels in the world and has an estimated replacement cost of $18 million. Its fuel tank has a capacity of 13,900 litres of diesel, and one full bucket of material is equal to 68.5 tonnes.

The Super Pit gold mine has been operating since 1989 and employs more than 1,200 workers, with about 600 contractors on site during the past three years to complete a $1.7 billion expansion of the Fimiston Mill, which is now being commissioned.

If the Super Pit hits its production forecast, it would reclaim the title of Australia's biggest producing gold mine from Boddington in WA's South West. The mine is forecast to grow production from 480,429 ounces in the 2025-26 financial year to 900,000 ounces a year from 2028-29.

A new 600-tonne R9600 excavator was delivered to the Super Pit in July, with a second shovel due to arrive in October. A decommissioned PC8000 shovel was put on display at the Super Pit public lookout in August.