Centralia Underground Fire
About this place
A Pennsylvania mining town where an underground coal seam fire has burned since 1962, cracking roads with steam vents and reducing a once-thriving community to fewer than 10 residents.
Historical Background
In May 1962, a fire was intentionally set in an open pit mine to clear rubbish. The fire spread to an exposed coal seam and descended underground. Attempts to extinguish it failed. By the 1980s, sinkholes were opening in backyards and carbon monoxide was seeping into homes. The government bought out and demolished most properties in 1992. The underground fire is expected to burn for another 250 years.
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Field Notes(…)
Location
Location shown within a 500 m radius circle for safety.
Contributor
Brennan WalshDetails
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