September 24, 2026 - Brookwood, Alabama residents came together to honor the 13 lives lost in a deadly mining explosion on September 23, 2001, while continuing to advocate for improved safety regulations in the mining industry.

Larry Spencer, president of the Alabama Miners Memorial Foundation, was working in Mine Number Seven when the neighboring mine collapsed, triggering two explosions.

"We heard the rumble and we looked at each other, wasn't sure what it was. I was a fire boss and I started my route out and made a phone call out and was told that I needed to get out," Spencer said. "When I came outside, we were told there was an explosion and there were people missing."

Since the tragedy, Spencer and his fellow miners have gathered annually to honor the victims and work toward preventing similar incidents.

"From the day of the explosion, we've been looking at trying to do things differently," Spencer said. "Everybody worked toward MSHA. There were new regulations and stuff. Some of that stuff has started taking a little bit of a backwards turn since the new administration."

Spencer also expressed concern about changes under the mine's new ownership, including the removal of a longstanding memorial.

"There used to be a memorial fence," Spencer said. "For 24 years, that memorial fence has been in front of Number Five Mine, where widows and other employees could go by and drop flowers and pay their respects. Warrior Met Coal took that fence down this year."

The ceremony also paid tribute to Justin Calloway, who was killed in July at the Blue Creek Mine.