<p>Under the influence of multiple mining activities, the fracture structure of the roof undergoes continuous changes, affecting the stability of the overlying strata. In this study, physical similarity experiments and numerical simulations were conducted on closely spaced coal seams. The development and propagation characteristics of roof fractures during lower coal seam mining were analyzed. The pressure behavior, stress distribution, and overburden displacement vector variations of roof strata at different levels during the mining process were investigated. The results show that during lower coal seam mining in closely spaced coal seams, the breaking span and roof pressure are reduced. The higher the key strata are located, the lower the mining pressure of the lower coal seam. During upper coal seam mining, the caving height of roof strata, the height of bed separation fractures, and the caving angle of strata all exhibit an increasing trend. Roof fractures in the overburden are primarily characterized by vertical penetration and horizontal expansion. During the advancement of the lower coal seam, pre-existing fractures in the roof undergo a process of re-opening followed by re-closing, and fractures on both sides of the working face expand. In the early stage of coal seam mining, the displacement vectors of the roof at the working face show a trend of tilting inward from both sides toward the gob. As the working face advances, the roof ahead of the working face maintains this slanting downward trend, while the roof above the gob exhibits vertical subsidence.</p>