The processes of hard coal extraction and processing are accompanied by the generation of a considerable amount of post-mining extractive waste, which in most cases is deposited on the ground surface. In the past, such waste was disposed of by deposition in bings and spoil piles of various kinds. The application of modern technologies makes it possible to recycle, reuse or reclaim extractive waste in engineering works or as a substitute of natural aggregates used for the construction of different kinds of banks and embankments. Regardless of whether the waste is deposited or reused, the basic target method of waste management consists of depositing it on the ground surface. This form of extractive waste management is always associated with the risk of the occurrence of coal self-heating phenomena, which may consequently lead to an endogenous fire. Therefore, it is of critical importance to apply appropriate technologies for the construction of coal waste embankments on the one hand, and on the other hand to recognize the mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of fires in extractive waste dumps, which constitutes the subject matter of this paper.

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