<p>Diamond beaded wire saw cutting technology is affected by many factors when cutting coal, and its cutting damage characteristics need to be further revealed. Therefore, a damage zone model was developed at the slit ends. The key factors affecting damage zone development were identified, and similar simulation tests and PFC-FLAC coupled simulations were conducted. The results showed that wire saw cutting in coal seams formed a distinct damage zone at both ends of the slit. Fracture growth could be divided into an accelerated growth stage and a stable growth stage with increasing slit length. Under the same cutting conditions, greater burial depth of the coal seam and lower hardness caused the fractures to enter the stable growth stage earlier and resulted in a higher degree of fracture development at the same cutting distance. When the roof contacted the floor, fractures penetrated more deeply and developed more fully in thinner coal seams. Increasing the width and number of cutting slits significantly improved fracture development. Double-slit cutting produced more than twice the number of fractures compared to single-slit cutting. Reasonably increasing the spacing between double slits improved cutting efficiency and fracture development. These findings provide a theoretical basis for selecting wire saw cutting methods and parameters in coal seams.</p>